Five Ways a Home Health Aide Can Keep You Independent

It’s not just a house: it’s your HOME. And your home is where you raised your family. It’s where your daughter took her first steps, and your son posed awkwardly with his first prom date.

The objects surrounding you are the story of your life: the table where you displayed trophies, the sofa you bought after you got that big raise. Even the colors of the walls evoke a snapshot of your history. Your home is where family gathers and memories are stored – you may not want to leave that all behind. A home health aide will help you stay in that home longer. Medicaid recipients in New York State who qualify for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) can even choose to receive their in-home care from a close family member or friend.

Being able to choose in-home care for yourself can be very beneficial to your family as well. With in-home care, you can stay in the comfort of your own home, allowing your family to visit at any time. They won’t have to wait for visiting hours like they would at a senior living community. They can come over whenever you would like them to, and you can even have your grandchildren sleep over and continue to make memories with them at your home. This can make you feel much more independent, even when getting help from a home health aide.

Time takes a physical toll on all of us. We slow down, our reflexes aren’t what they used to be, and our glasses have to make everything a little bit bigger. Eventually, things that used to be simple – like driving a car – are no longer a possibility. What then? How will you get your groceries, pop over to the salon, or meet up with your friends at a cafe?

An agency like Special Touch Home Care can help you sort out those questions, and a home health aide can make all those activities possible again. Age will have its effects, but it should never prevent you from enjoying life.

Once upon a time, your home was a bustling hub of activity, full of kids, extended family, and friends. A day may pass, and you realize you haven’t had contact with another human being. Some people may not mind such isolation, but most risk gradually slipping into a lack of personal care or depression. A home health aide can provide companionship while connecting you to the larger world.

With the support of quality home care, you can maintain your connections with all the people you know and love, ensuring your mental health and physical well-being.

Your home health aide can help you connect with your friends and family via Zoom or FaceTime. With technology, you can reach almost anyone worldwide to keep in touch with your friends and family, even states away. So, if you are having trouble getting in touch with loved ones, your home health aide can help you connect.

With in-home care allowing such a flexible schedule, you can make lunch plans with your friends that live in the same town. If you want to go out with your friends, you can do this when receiving in-home care. Just because you need a little help around the house doesn’t mean you can’t continue living your life as you want.

The people who love you want to know that you’re doing well. Because they care, they worry about your safety and happiness. They may one day suggest looking into an assisted living facility, even though you think you’re just fine where you are.

But – maybe you could use a little help.

A home care agency is the most accessible place to start your search for non-disruptive support that gets you the help you need without requiring a significant change to how you live. You can remain a valuable member of your community while your family gains peace of mind.

As we’ve mentioned, your family can visit you at home whenever you want them to. This can make them feel at peace of mind, knowing they aren’t limited to visiting hours. This may be a huge concern for your family, so that’s why in-home care is such an excellent option for many people.

While our bodies will reflect the passage of time, our minds are not required to follow suit. If you pride yourself on finding your way through the world – calling the shots for decades while building a home, a family, and a career – it may not be easy to accept someone suddenly telling you when you have to eat breakfast.

Home care allows you to retain agency over your actions. You live where you want to and do what you want to do (whenever you want to).

If you have a particular routine, you like to stick to it. You can stick to it! You can make your in-home care plan and discuss this with your family and home health aide. Or, you may want to shake things up a bit and try something new! With in-home care, your independence allows you to choose what you want to do every day. With help from your home health aide, you can stick to a routine or try something new. It’s all up to you!

Home care is the perfect way to ease into supported living when you can no longer do everything for yourself but are not ready to surrender your autonomy to an institution. Special Touch can help you through any decisions that need to be made, including which program makes the most sense for you and the best way to implement it.

Contact us any time and ask to speak to a Care Representative.