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Signs That Your Parent Needs Home Health Care 24 Hours A Day

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If you have an elderly parent who still lives independently, you may have hired a home health aide in the past for regular visits. This professional may drop by daily to help your parent get some exercise and have a little companionship, or he or she may visit only sporadically. In either scenario, you may come to a point that you're considering having a home aide spend 24 hours a day with your parent. This may take place when your parent needs a high degree of care and isn't wanting to move into a care facility. Here are some signs that this around-the-clock care is warranted.

Your Parent Is A Fall Risk At Night

Elderly people can fall and hurt themselves for a wide range of reasons, but the risk of falling increases for some people at night. If your parent struggles with mobility after waking up, perhaps because he or she is disoriented, your parent can call for the home health aide to make a nighttime trip to the bathroom, for example. Additionally, if your parent is prone to sleep walking, the risk of falling is high. In this scenario, having a home health aide on the scene can be the difference between falling and not falling.

Your Parent Is Getting Forgetful

Being forgetful might be seen as a minor issue, but for those who are struggling with cognitive issues as a result of dementia, there are major concerns with living independently. If your parent has shown that his or her memory is fading, he or she may make dangerous mistakes around the house such as leaving the stove on or filling a bathtub with water but forgetting to turn the tap off. A home health aide providing 24-hour support can catch such issues before they become dangerous.

Your Parent Has Trouble With Food

As they age, some people face numerous food-related issues. If your elderly parent can no longer cook for himself or herself, a 24-hour home health aide can save you from having to run meals to your parent's house throughout the day. Some people also have trouble properly chewing their food; after a stroke that has left some degree of paralysis, for example, your parent may struggle to chew. This could leave him or her at risk of choking, so it's ideal to always have a health aide like Supportive Personal Care Services, LLC in the home to help with first aid if it's needed.


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