Aging is part of living. It can bring with it challenges and changes. For people in Edmond and Oklahoma City, personal care is one of those challenges. Most of the challenges of personal care don’t require medical services. They may include activities of daily living—ADLs—such as toileting, bathing, and assistance eating, but also other tasks like driving to appointments, help traveling on public transportation, or meal preparation.
Personal care helps people to remain living with dignity.
Seniors don’t have to be immobile to need a little extra help. Sometimes, helping safely entering and exiting a tub is the only aid necessary. Light housekeeping duties like washing laundry or vacuuming can also relieve seniors who find the task more difficult. Having help with challenging tasks allows the seniors to focus on tasks they still can do. Personal care also includes reminders to take medication and ensuring it’s on schedule.
Personal care needs have several solutions.
When faced with problems with personal care and the ability to care for themselves, pets, or their home, seniors have several options. Moving, either into an assisted living facility or a family member’s home or remaining at home and securing help to deal with the issues are two. While assisted living communities offer meals, personal care, and housekeeping, they don’t allow the same freedom a senior at home has. It also doesn’t provide the comfort of familiar surroundings.
Using personal care services helps couples age together.
Personal care can help couples remain together. If one person requires help that the other can’t provide, it can mean one or both of them go to assisted living or find an alternative. The alternative is at-home personal care that can offer respite for the partner providing care. It can be helping with housekeeping or cooking, relieving the load and allowing the couples to spend quality time together. Personal care specialists can help both spouses by performing necessary tasks and conserving the more mobile person’s energy.
- The ability to meet unique needs and personalize the help is another benefit provided by personal caregivers. It allows the recipient to continue doing tasks they can do and those they enjoy while receiving help with more difficult ones.
- A benefit of in-home personal care not offered by many facilities is the ability to keep their pets. The loss of a pet is like losing a family member. Pets are loved, cherished, and often the constant companion of the senior.
- Even if visiting family members help with chores, personal care professionals still play a role. They can reduce the time necessary for tasks and allow family members to have more social time with the seniors.
- Personal care is especially important to a senior’s self-esteem. Help with grooming allows the seniors to look their best. That can improve self-esteem and confidence.