A Beginner’s Guide to In-Home Care for Elderly Adults in Wisconsin
When a loved one or someone close to us becomes incapable of managing normal, daily tasks or you start worrying about them living alone and being able to care for themselves, you may wonder what options there are if they wish to remain in their home.
You may not even be aware that in Greater Milwaukee there is something called in-home care, specifically for aging adults that allows your loved one to remain at home, while having a trained professional that goes to them at their home to attend to their needs, provide companionship and ensure their safety.
Since home health care nursing first emerged in the 1880’s, the scope of it has evolved dramatically, thanks to technological advances. Now, care that was once only available in intensive care units can be provided at home by trained staff.
Talem Home Care - Milwaukee is an in-home care provider focused on creating effective, quality, and innovative community-based long-term care support programs for families in Wisconsin. Whether you are seeking temporary help or are more interested in long term care, we are ready to help.
The aging population has more than a 70% chance of needing help within their home, while 95% of them would like to stay in their home for as long as possible. In fact, most of the time, you can get more care at a lessor cost when compared to assisted livings and nursing homes. In the Midwest region, approximately 8.1% of homes are aging ready, according to census.gov data. A Certified Senior Advisor®, such as those at Talem Home Care - Milwaukee will help you understand what aging-ready means and what it will take to make your loved ones’ home environment become an aging ready home.
From assessing how much care your loved one requires, to getting everyone involved in the decision-making process, dealing with associated guilt, all the way to finding the right caretaker, this guide will help you understand the process of arranging in-home care for your loved one.
1. Assess the level of care needed
There are approximately 17.5% seniors over the age of 65 in the Greater Milwaukee area who will or do require some kind of care. Some only need temporary care after a hospital stay, while some need long term solutions. A professional from an in-home care provider will perform a non-medical evaluation to determine how much care may be needed, and for how long. Once they have assessed this, they will discuss it with you and your loved one.
The level of care your loved one needs may vary with time. Regular evaluations and adjustments will ensure the right amount of care is being provided. You can help by spending some time with your loved one to gain a good understanding of the day-to-day tasks they are struggling with, such as preparing meals, performing house work, bathing, properly caring for pets, driving to appointments and keeping up with the yard work.
This will help you fill in any missing information for the care provided and help you understand how often your loved one may require visits. Your care provider will design a care plan with you for your loved one and discuss how things may change in the future.
2. Understand That Your Ability to Provide Care May Be Limited
It’s normal to think that we are able to provide the best care for our loved ones, and in many ways, this is probably true. However, caring for an elderly adult with medical needs and special requirements is different.
Professional caregivers are trained and have the experience to handle things that you aren’t necessarily prepared or qualified to do. They can pick up on certain things that indicate there could be a problem or that more care is needed. Caregivers complete a thorough evaluation after every visit with notes and observations so that your loved one continues to receive the right amount of care.
Additionally, the amount of time you have may also be seriously limited because of your career, children and other obligations. Commuting to care for your loved one is another consideration. Greater Milwaukee averages 82 for low traffic days each year.
Traveling to your loved ones home can become a serious hardship and affect many different areas of your life. Because caring for your loved one is the in-home care professionals job, they won’t be rushed or worrying about other responsibilities. They are focused solely on your loved one during the times they are there.
3. Involve Your Loved One in the Decision Making
It’s important that your loved one be involved in the process of deciding whether or not in-home care is needed. It's equally important to be mindful of how this all makes them feel.
Putting yourself in their shoes will help you be more empathetic to what they are feeling. Genuinely listen to any concerns they have and then compromise on the solution, so that everyone feels comfortable with the decision.
Discuss with your loved one the tasks they feel they need help with and make sure to talk about the things you think they need help with, as well. Defining this list in advance ensures no surprises or risking possibly offending or embarrassing your loved one.
Making sure that you and your loved one fully understand the benefits of in-home care and setting the proper expectations will make the process much easier and smoother.
4. Screening Process for Professional Caregivers
Having a virtual stranger come into your loved ones home to provide care may be a cause of concern, or even apprehension, for you. It’s probably a little scary for both you and your loved one.
Going through a professional, vetted agency in Greater Milwaukee ensures that whomever is charged with the care of your loved one is fully screened and qualified. Agencies have rigorous screening processes for hiring caregivers to ensure the best care is provided and that your loved one is safe from harm.
You’re welcome to ask as many questions as you’d like when speaking with the agency until you feel comfortable that they are doing everything they should be to ensure the safety of both your loved one and their employees. Involving your loved one in this part of the process is recommended when possible, and encouraging them to also ask questions will help them feel more comfortable and involved with the process.
Talem Home Care professionals provide caregiver profiles like this:
"Jake Rankin encourages you to experience the passion we have at Talem Home Care that makes us so successful in helping others live their life to the fullest. His commitment to you is that you will always have someone on your side helping you navigate though the challenges we face as we age. He is honored to be in a position to help and want to thank all of those who have and continue to allow the Talem team to be a part of your life!"
...to help you understand their background, experience and specialty areas, as well as many other things.
5. Dealing With Your Personal Sense of Guilt
Talking about in-home care for your loved one often comes with feelings of guilt. While it's perfectly normal to feel this way, there is no reason for it. In-home care options exist to help you and your loved one maintain a quality of life and are often the best choice for helping your elder loved one.
There are a lot of factors to consider regarding home care. While it may feel like it's your responsibility to provide all of the care for your loved one, it's not. It's your responsibility to do what is best for yourself, your family and your loved one. This may mean hiring an in-home care provider to help.
Remember, too, that your loved one may also feel some guilt. They know that you’re busy with a life and family of your own and having to ask you for help all the time probably isn’t what they want to do. Their guilt of not wanting to bother you too often may also deter them from asking for help as often as they should. This can cause them to attempt to do tasks on their own resulting in injury, skipping meals, or living in unsanitary conditions. Hiring a professional can eliminate guilt for both sides and ensure your loved one is getting the care they need.
6. Periodic Evaluations of the Caregiver
Evaluating the caregiver should be a regular practice for you. Listen to any concerns your loved one voices, thoroughly review notes left by the caregiver about daily visits, double check their work, and ensure medications are being administered properly, should be on your checklist, at least until they’ve earned your trust, and periodically thereafter.
It’s ok to let a supervisor know if you have concerns or feel like the caregiver isn’t meeting your requirements. If your concern is something that can be remedied easily, the caregiver’s supervisor can speak to them about it. Or, if you think a different caregiver should be assigned, that is ok, too. The agency will be happy to work with you until you find the right caregiver.
7. Assisted Living
If in-home isn’t an option or may not be an option for a long period of time, assisted living may be the answer. Working with an advisor, such as the professionals at Talem Home Care can help you in making the right decision for your elderly loved one.
It’s estimated that 7 out of 10 seniors will need assisted living care at some point. Costs and availability vary by state and by type of community, such as traditional care vs. memory care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. In the state of Wisconsin, the average monthly cost for assisted living is $4,400, and the yearly is $52,800, with approximately 1,000 assisted living communities throughout the state, according to consumeraffairs.com. There may be financial aid available, especially for those who are disabled, as well as special programs and housing for Veterans. For a list of state sponsored VA homes in Wisconsin click here.
The professionals at Talem Home Care - Milwaukee can advise you as to which, if any, programs your loved one may qualify for, as well as assist you with completing the required forms and gathering any required documentation.
In Summary
Deciding if your loved one needs in-home care or should be placed in an assisted living community can be a difficult process. Feeling guilty about not doing it yourself, limitations on your time and ability to provide the level of care your loved one needs, getting your loved one to agree to in-home care or an assisted living home, and not knowing how to begin the process, may all be contributing to your hesitation when exploring this option further.
Talem Home Care’s advisors will help you decide if hiring a professional caregiver is the best option, or if assisted living or memory care may be more appropriate. Talem Advisors first assess the level of care your loved one requires, then create a care plan with you and your loved one. Working with an advisor can help with relieving the stress you are probably feeling, as well as lighten your workload and ensure that your loved one gets the best care based on their specific needs.
Caring for your loved one doesn’t mean that you must be the person providing all of the care. Sometimes the best care we can give is finding a professional who has the time, training and experience to provide the proper care for your loved one.
To schedule a free consultation with one of the professional care providers at Talem Home Care - Milwaukee, call us at (414) 404-9600 or email us at ContactMilwaukee@talemhc.com. You may also visit us online at https://talemhomecare-milwaukee.com/.
Talem Home Care, Inc. is a nationwide network of in-home caregivers. Our mission is to continue to help make a difference for as many people as possible. We strive to help anyone caring for an elderly adult to find the available resources and give guidance for navigating the often complex healthcare system.
If you’re struggling with knowing where to begin when deciding what options are best for your loved one, give us a call. We will give you the support you need and help you understand the process of finding and funding in-home care or assisted living. We’re here for you now, and every step along the way.
Talem Home Care offices are independently owned, managed and operated by franchisees of Talem Home Care Franchising, LLC. Services offered by independently owned and operated offices are not provided by, affiliated with or related to Talem Home Care, LLC.
