Are your usual every day activities becoming more and more difficult to complete? Does making a meal, doing your laundry, grocery shopping, or even taking a shower seem to be exhausting and take you longer and longer?
As you get older, you may find that your needs are increasing, and you are faced with the question of: how do I continue to live in my home safely and independently?
There are a number of different services and agencies in the community that provide additional support to seniors to help you “age in place” and stay in your current home or living arrangement:
Companion Based Agencies: provide assistance with housekeeping, meal preparation, grocery shopping, medication reminders, etc.
Certified Home Health Agencies: provide services that include nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and social work. These are services that can be billed through your insurance but are only typically covered for a short time period.
Licensed Home Health Agencies: provide assistance with more “hands on care;” for example, hygiene care, bathing, dressing, toileting, transfers, wound care, etc.
Medical Alert Buttons: provide a portable button to seniors living in the community that when pushed or activated will alert 911 or a family member for assistance in an emergency.
Meals on Wheels: delivers nutritious and well balanced meals to residents in the community
Which agency you choose to contract with is dependent upon your preference and needs. Here are a few things that you may want to consider when hiring an agency:
- What services do they provide? Do they have nursing or physical therapy available? Can they help with bathing? Can they do grocery shopping or laundry? Discuss what your needs are.
- How much do they charge? Try to compare rates as each agency has different hourly rates.
- Ask about staffing and availability. How long will it take before the agency can start working with you? What happens if an aide calls in sick? How many hours/days a week they can provide assistance?
- Ask around. Do they have a good reputation? Do you know anyone who has used them? It’s important to choose an agency that you trust.
Adding these services into your daily routine can assist you in maintaining your independence and allow you to safely manage at home.
Please visit the G.R.A.P.E. ( Greater Rochester Area Partnership for the Elderly) resource guide at www.theelderpages.com for contact information for the agencies in the community that provide the above services, or contact Jessica Kelley, Admissions Representative for the Friendly Home and Resident Advisor for Linden Knoll at 218- 8809 with any questions.
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