Home Care
Meals
Your parent may be in the situation where they can manage to make themselves breakfast and lunch but do not feel up to making an evening meal. You and your family may decide that you can do some periodic shopping to keep them supplied with essentials as well as provide an evening meal. However, family schedules and proximity may make providing regular meals impractical so a popular alternative could be ‘Meals on Wheels’ or a similar program in your community. For a relatively modest cost, usually about $5, your parent will receive a nutritious, balanced meal delivered to their home.
Transportation
When you parent is ill but still able to get around you will need to consider the extent of their mobility and needs. Devices such as canes and walkers can be of great assistance to people with reduced mobility. Electrically powered scooters are also available but can be rather expensive (~$2,000). If your parent is relatively mobile they may want to get out periodically to shop or attend doctor’s appointments. You and other family members or friends may be able to arrange a schedule to make these trips. If this is not practical, many communities have organizations that provide transportation services for those with limited mobility as well as volunteer drivers who can take the patient to doctor’s appointments or therapy sessions. If your parent is still able to drive their car you should look into getting a disabled parking sticker to minimize their walking. The appropriate provincial ministry will require a signed statement from a qualified health professional that the applicant qualifies on medical grounds.
Visiting and Monitoring
When your parent is at home, you will want to arrange for visitors to call on a regular basis. This will not only help to ensure that they are managing but provide some important social contact.
Live-in Assistance
Your parent’s condition may be such that they will require more constant care with an attendant in their home for most or all of the day. This will be a more expensive option. You should check to see if there are government agencies to assist you in finding and paying for in-home care. The relative costs of having your parent live in a residential facility would need to be considered as well as the emotional factors since many elderly people are attached to their homes and are very reluctant to move to a care facility.
Adult day Care
Many communities offer facilities where seniors can spend their days in a safe, social environment.
Respite Care
If you and/or other family members are providing in-home care for your parent there are Respite Care programs where a qualified attendant will visit periodically to provide care for your parent while the primary caregiver can ‘take a break’. This can be an important service to prevent the build up of stress for the caregiver(s).
Where to start
We have access to a great deal of information on the type of support services available. For example, in Ontario, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care is an excellent place to start to learn about the options available to assist people in finding and funding in-home care.