Many families with seniors who require permanent care find it difficult to make the right decision. Daily commitments and limited time may make it impossible to provide her with full care, which presents her loved ones with an extremely demanding dilemma. They would like to help their loved ones in a dignified way, but sometimes seniors need specialized care that their family is unable to provide on its own. In such difficult times, it is worth asking for support from professional caregivers for the elderly. Today, there are many companies on the market that offer a wide range of care services, including residential care for the elderly, support during specific hours, as well as access to nursing homes. Thanks to them, we can provide our loved ones with the care and support that is necessary to ensure them a comfortable life and a dignified aging. In this article, we analyze the prices of elderly care and the available options. Our goal is to help families make the best choice for their loved ones because, as we know, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our families.
To begin with, we need to answer a few questions about our needs. Every senior may require a different form of support. Therefore, the range of care services offered is diversified, e.g.,
- the types of responsibilities of the caregiver of the elderly person,
- required qualifications,
- the time a private babysitter spends with a person who requires help.
Companies offering care services adapt their offer to the needs and requirements of the elderly and their families. The logical consequence is that the prices of care services also depend on individual requirements and preferences. Below, we present the types of care and their cost. What’s more, below we provide information on how to apply for grants in a broad sense.
What kind of care is needed?
When you are looking for a caring company, it is crucial that your family be fully confident that carers will provide the right care for your loved one. Therefore, the care company should conduct a detailed interview to fully understand your needs. Here are some fundamental issues to determine:
- Scope of care: Specify exactly what scope of care is needed. Is it basic medical care, support in daily activities, or perhaps specialized care for the elderly due to specific conditions (e.g., care for pressure ulcers)?
- Level of disease: It is important to determine the current state of health of the elderly person. Does it require permanent care or only temporary help?
- Hygiene: Do seniors require support in maintaining proper personal hygiene and taking care of themselves?
- Help with daily activities: Which daily activities require support? Does a senior need help getting dressed, bathing or preparing meals?
- Transfer: Do seniors have difficulty getting around on their own? Do you require help with the transfer from bed to wheelchair or other activities related to mobility?
- Number of people in the household: If more than one person requires care, it is significant to determine whether they all require the same type of care.
- Scope of work related to home care: In addition to caring for the elderly, it is worth determining whether the care company offers support in running the household, e.g., cleaning, grocery shopping or preparing meals.
By discussing these issues with a care company, you can be sure to tailor the care to the needs of your loved one. Keep in mind, however, that the more personalized the offer, the greater the chance that the price of care will increase. Caregiver for the elderly is an extremely absorbing profession, which is why the prices of care for the elderly vary, depending on the requirements placed on the caregiver. Remember that choosing the right care company is a key step in ensuring the comfort and safety of the elderly, as well as the peace of the family.
24-hour residential care
24-hour care is a solution that provides the senior with ongoing care and support. An elder sitter lives with a ward, which brings numerous benefits.
Continuous Care: Residential care provides the senior with permanent access to a caregiver around the clock. This means that they can always count on the support of someone who is ready to help in any situation, both in everyday activities and in health emergencies.
Night support: Caretakers are also available at night. Thanks to this, the senior has a restful sleep and the confidence that someone will react and help him if necessary.
Caregiver changes: It is important to understand that in 24-hour care, caregivers need to change for health and organizational reasons. It is worth knowing about this to be able to discuss this issue with a representative of the caregiver agency. This will make it possible to clarify any concerns about changes of caregivers and to determine how these changes will be implemented.
Adaptation to needs: Home care for the elderly is flexible and allows you to adapt to the individual needs of the elderly. It is a solution that allows you to carefully match the level of care to the needs of a particular person.
Many people may wonder: How much does 24-hour care at home cost? The price of home care depends on the place of residence and the specifics of the services offered by the agencies. Current care rates can be easily found on the Hrily Care service website. Current offers of care for the elderly are posted there.
Scope of responsibilities of carers for the elderly
An elderly caregiver plays a key role in providing comfort and support to the elderly. The scope of his responsibilities shall include:
- Help: Providing constant care and care and taking care of the safety and comfort of the senior.
- Taking medication: Helping you take your medication as directed by your doctor.
- Preparation of meals: Cooking healthy and balanced meals, considering the individual nutritional needs and diet of the senior.
- Daily activities: Helping the senior with daily activities such as getting up, toilet, dressing.
- Activation of the senior: Organizing recreational activities, accompanying during visits to doctors and rehabilitation, and supporting the senior in active spending of time.
- Care of the house: Taking care of the house, shopping, cleaning, laundry, ironing, as well as taking care of the garden if needed.
The scope of care is adapted to the requirements of the senior and the family, and all the responsibilities of the caregiver are specified in the contract.
24-hour care packages
24-hour residential care is an offer for families who are unable to take care of a senior on their own. They can then seek support in caring for the elderly so as not to give up on themselves and their needs, and at the same time provide them with a full range of care. 24-hour care gives the family psychological comfort and the certainty that their loved one remains under constant supervision. The cost of monthly care is higher when residential care is needed, but if the family does not have the means or skills necessary to help the elderly, it is worth choosing such an option.
Home care packages vary depending on the company and the needs of the family, which affects their cost. They are usually treated as a starting point for a conversation with the family, which allows us to tailor the offer to individual needs. These packages are diverse in terms of:
- Number of hours;
- Number of visits per week;
- Qualifications of the caregiver and scope of work (indicates whether the caregiver has the appropriate qualifications and what specific tasks he/she will perform);
- Hours of home visits (determines the availability of care during the day and night);
- The state of health of the patient (care for a seriously ill person is much more demanding and therefore expensive);
- Prices per hour of caregiver’s work;
- The place where care is provided;
- Availability of free time guardian.
When deciding on the right package, it is worth starting with a thorough identification of the needs of the senior and the expectations of the family. By working with a caregiver agency, you can tailor the care package to meet all the needs and ensure the comfort and safety of the senior.
Four, eight, 12-hour care.
Hourly care for the elderly, i.e., the need to have a caregiver who will be available for 4,8 or 12 hours a day, is a solution tailored to the needs of families who do not require full-time care but need support at specific times of the day. It is a flexible option that offers many advantages.
Unlike round-the-clock care, the senior is left alone for the rest of the day or night. This is an excellent offer for families who work and require care only during their absence from home.
The duration of care is varied, and often care companies can adapt it to individual needs. The days of the week on which care is provided may also be adjusted, after prior agreement with the care provider.
If you require help with varying hours or duration, you should be aware that there will be different caregivers. Therefore, it is important that the senior is warned about this so that he is not surprised by the presence of a new babysitter during her first visit.
Hourly care is so advantageous that it reduces the financial outlay that we have to spend on the monthly cost of home care. This model makes it possible to reduce the number of working hours of an elderly caregiver to what is actually needed. Many families have the opportunity to take care of their loved ones, but they require immediate support. In addition, it is an excellent solution for families who, for financial reasons, do not become a full range of care. Usually, the cost of an hour of care is an expense they can afford. Then the price of monthly care is much lower than for round-the-clock care.
Subsidies for care of the elderly
Grants and co-financing not only depend on the country and region, but also change over time. Therefore, it is worth looking for up-to-date information on government websites and check which of the current benefits we are entitled to. In addition, it is worth making sure that the results that the search engine showed us are up-to-date. It often happens that information published a few years ago is displayed in the first place, and unfortunately, it is no longer up to date.
When you can find a subsidy offer that interests you, check whether you can take advantage of it. Each grant has several formal requirements that must be met to be able to apply for it. Particular attention should be paid to such key aspects as:
- the requirements that a senior’s family must meet,
- the amount of income of the senior or family per year,
- the age of the elderly person who may receive a given type of subsidy,
- registration (some subsidy programs restrict the group of recipients to, for example, only rural residents),
- the deadline for submitting the application.
Elderly care allowance is not the only form of financial support available. In addition to the reimbursement of costs for hiring a carer, it is worth looking for other benefits. Perhaps your loved one can apply for:
- Tax breaks: Some countries offer tax breaks for seniors or additional tax deductions.
- Co-funding of medicines and healthcare: Older people may be eligible for lower prices of prescription drugs or other forms of healthcare support.
- Transport: In many places, seniors are entitled to discounted public transport tickets or use dedicated transport services.
- Rides: In many places, seniors who are unable to move on their own can count on free rides. These are vehicles adapted to carry people in wheelchairs or lying down. This may include trips to doctors, examinations or other places related to rehabilitation.
- Housing programs: There are government programs that offer grants or preferential loans to adapt the home to the needs of the elderly.
- Social support: Many countries have centers or clubs for seniors that offer different types of activities, workshops, and meetings.
- Educational Programs: Some countries offer free or discounted educational courses for seniors.
- Co-financing hygiene measures: The elderly are increasingly receiving support in the form of hygiene measures, such as diapers.