Your dad’s getting older. Whether his health is changing or he’s not comfortable being alone every day, you’re considering senior home care. How do you get started?

1. Talk to Your Dad

Before you do anything, talk to your dad. He may not be able to make many of these plans on his own, but it’s

Home Care Columbia, SC: Hiring Home Care

important to give him the chance to share his thoughts. You might be surprised by how receptive he is to senior home care services like laundry, housekeeping, and meal preparation.

2. Bring in Your Siblings for input

Once you’ve talked to your dad, talk to your siblings to see if they’ve seen things you’ve missed. Your sister may go out with your dad more than you do. She’s seen that when he’s driving, he is slow to react to cars that are stopping in traffic. This is important to know when planning senior home care services.

3. Call His Doctor

Talk to his doctor, too. Find out if there are concerns regarding his health, weight, or mental well-being. His doctor may be able to guide you into some of the senior care services that will help him feel less lonely or help with his independence.

4. Build a To-Do List

Once you have a list of the areas your dad needs help, build daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists. Those are the areas you’ll focus on when creating a care plan.

5. Check Out His Home for Areas to Improve

Go through your dad’s home and make sure that it’s as safe as it can be. Grab bars in the shower or bathtub and at the side of a toilet can help prevent a fall. Removing decorative rugs and carpet runners helps avoid slips on hardwood floors. Bright lighting in halls and stairs also lowers the risk of a fall.

6. Call a Senior Home Care Advisor

Talk to a senior home care advisor about your dad’s care needs. Go over what he needs help doing each day, once a week, and once a month. Include things like transportation to appointments, prescription refills, and shopping trips.

7. Finalize Plans With Everyone

Gather your brothers and sisters and sit down with your dad. Discuss what services are being arranged, how they work, and how often a caregiver will stop by.

8. Prepare Your Dad for His First Day

Services are booked and your dad’s first day of senior home care is coming up. Prepare him in advance. Go over what the caregiver is coming to help him complete. Make sure you reinforce that the caregiver is there to help him stay independent and not take over.

When you call a senior care advisor, ask for additional tips on helping prepare your dad. If he’s prepared for all that will happen, he won’t feel as stressed or nervous.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Care in Columbia, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116.  Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.

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Edward Harrison

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.
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