If your loved one is suffering from a long-term injury, there are many care options available to help them recover, from in-home care to assisted living facilities.
Before deciding on a care option, it’s important to research the available choices. Here are some of the better care options for people who are recovering from a long-term injury.
Assisted Living Facilities
Assisted living facilities can provide your loved one with the nursing and medical care that they’ll need while they’re in recovery. There are many different types of assisted living facilities, ranging from ones that provide intensive medical care to ones that offer limited care and some independence.
here will typically be a registered nurse available to help them. Skilled nursing facilities will also provide medical services, including physical therapy. Typically, residents spend a few weeks in a skilled nursing facility while they’re recovering from surgery or an injury before moving to a less intensive facility. This option is typically the most expensive.
Intermediate care facilities are usually for long-term residents who have a chronic illness or injury. A practical or vocational nurse is typically on duty, and the facility also employs workers who help residents with their personal care.
People who need long-term care for their injuries may choose a custodial care facility. These are often less expensive than skilled nurse facilities and immediate care facilities. They’ll provide both personal and medical care for your family member. They also offer recreational and educational activities for residents.
If you decide that an assisted living facility is the right choice for your family member, begin researching the different options in your loved one’s area. When you’ve narrowed it down to a few choices, tour the facility and ask the staff questions about daily life there. Also, ask around and see if any of your friends or family knows someone who has firsthand experience with the facility. This way, you’ll be able to get a good sense of what the facility is like, and if it will be the right choice for your loved one.
Board and Care Homes
In board and care homes, small groups of people with disabilities or long-term injuries live together. They differ from assisted living facilities since residents typically are not provided with nursing or medical care. Also, unlike assisted living facilities, residents usually don’t have their own apartment—instead, they will have have a room in a shared apartment and sometimes they will have a roommate in a shared room.
Board and care homes usually provide assistants to help with daily activities, like preparing meals and bathing. The assistants may also monitor residents’ medication intake. Board and care homes are not regulated by the federal government, but they should be licensed by the state. The service and care varies greatly between homes, therefore be sure to visit a few different board and care homes to find the home that offers the right services for your loved one.
Accessory Dwelling Units
If your family member wants to live with you and still maintain their independence, an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) could be the right choice for you. An ADU is a space within a single-family home that functions as its own separate living area. Typically, ADUs have their own kitchen, living room, and bathroom, and they may also have their own entrance. ADUs can be located within a house in an attic, basement, or over the garage. ADUs can also be separate structures, like a small cottage in a backyard.
You’ll need to get a permit from your local zoning office to build an ADU. Some neighborhoods will not allow them, while others will have strict rules about the types of ADUs you can add on to your house. Visit your zoning office and find out what you can and cannot do in your ADU. Then, you can begin planning out the perfect space where your loved one can recover.
Community Services
If your family member needs help with day-to-day tasks while they’re recovering from their injury, consider signing them up for community service groups. Volunteers from these groups can do grocery shopping for your loved one.They may also drive them to doctors’ appointments. You may even find volunteers to take care of your family member’s pets.
You can also enroll for meal programs like Meals-on-Wheels so that won’t have to worry about cooking while they’re recovering.
You can find many different community services throughout the county that will provide your loved one with the help they need.
In-Home Caregivers
Many people simply prefer to remain in the comfort of their own home—the familiar surroundings and the lower costs make this an attractive option. To provide the necessary care during recovery you might consider hiring an in-home caregiver to help your loved one complete the activities of daily living (ADLs). The ADLs are:
- Eating
- Bathing
- Toilet hygiene
- Dressing
- Walking
- Continence
In addition to helping with the ADLs it will also give you peace of mind knowing that a qualified individual is there in case of an emergency, is reminding them about medication of physical therapy exercises, and is helping them cook nutritious meals and taking care of household chores.
In-home caregivers also offer an invaluable service to the family members of the injured person: respite care. To care for an injured loved one, it’s important that you also care for yourself—and periodically take breaks. An in-home caregiver can provide respite care when you’re taking some time for yourself—they will offer your loved one companionship, and they can also provide supervision supervise to guard against further injury. In-home caregivers can be hired fora few hours a day or just a few hours a week, which will give you the chance to relax and recharge.
Types of In-Home Caregivers
There are two main types of in-home caregivers: personal care assistants and home health aides.
Personal care assistants cannot provide hands on care, instead they provide companionship and can help around the house. A personal care assistant is a good choice if your loved one prefers to not be alone but does not need extra physical help with the Activities of Daily Living.
Home health aides are usually Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) or Geriatric Nursing Assistants (GNAs), so they are qualified to offer support with the activities of daily living as well as provide help in the event of an emergency, in addition to helping with personal care.
Choosing an In-Home Caregiver
When you’re choosing an in-home caregiver, it’s important to decide between an independent Aide—where you hire the individual and assume the employer responsibilities—and an in home care agency where the company provides the care workers and handles the employer administration . Agencies will also provide backup care workers in the event that your primary aide is unavailable—thereby ensuring you always have care for your loved one.
You’ll want to choose a caregiver who will mesh well with your family member’s personality—some in-home care agencies will actively match personalities,other may not. If you choose and independent it is best to conduct several interviews yourself to find an appropriate personality match.When you’re interviewing your in-home care provider, you’ll want to ask them about their experience and their fields of expertise. Some of the questions you can consider asking are:
- How long have you been an in home caregiver?
- What certifications do you have?
- What services do you offer?
- How would you handle a medical emergency?
Try to find an in home caregiver who has worked with similar type of injury to one the your family member has—stroke, fall, Parkinson’s, memory impairment and so on—that way, you’ll know that they understand the best ways to treat your loved one. You’ll also know that they’re prepared to deal with all the complications that could arise from your loved one’s injury.
Choosing a Care Option for your Family Member
When you’re choosing a care option for a family member with a long-term injury, you’ll want to consider how much help they’ll need. You’ll also need to decide if it will be better for them to remain home or go to a dedicated facility. Spend some time discussing these choices with your family, and look at the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Once you do this, you’ll have a better idea of what your loved one needs and where they will be happiest during their recovery.
If you think that in home care in the right option for your family member, contact us at Comfort Care Home. We’ll discuss what your loved one needs and our Registered Nurse will prepare an appropriate care plan. We will match you with the right in home caregiver, based on both skills and personality to help your loved ones through their recovery period. With awards from both Senior Advisor and Best of Bethesda Magazine at Comfort Home Care, we’re able to provide the care and support your loved one needs while recover from their injury.