Do your parents or grandparents need extra help to live independently? Do they recognize that fact, but still seem very reluctant to consider home care as an option? It’s more common than you might think!

Many seniors worry that as they begin to need more assistance with everyday life, they might lose their independence, even within their own home. They may be comfortable with outsourcing domestic help with chores such as cleaning or laundry, but be uncomfortable with the idea of a ‘stranger’ in their bathroom helping them wash. It’s often a perception of “all or nothing” – it’s either basic domestic help or full-on personal care, with nothing in between.

Home care as it should be

This is simply not the case with home care provided by Vytality at Home, We start by meeting your senior parents or grandparents in person, to discuss their current and near-future needs, and assess the level of home care and assistance they may require. We then draw up a detailed, customized care plan that meets those needs, and also suits your loved one’s lifestyle and capabilities. We’ll then match them with an experienced, caring home caregiver, and together we all decide on how often they’d like them to visit.

Their bespoke plan is then uploaded into our free Vytality at Home app, so you, your parents/grandparents and other family members can stay informed and up to date on our home care services. The app keep everyone informed, even to the point of showing when the caregiver is en route for their usual visit!

It’s this blend of total transparency and careful planning that is the secret of successful home care. It gives seniors an active role in managing their own care from their own home, with the backup and support of the family being fully informed too.

Home care, not just health care

Home care can enable seniors and those with disabilities to continue living in their own homes for longer, by providing the services they require. Our caregivers are there to provide a whole range of support services to make aging at home work for everyone. Our caregivers are not nurses, nor is your parents’ house a hospital. It is their home and we aim to ensure it stays that way.

So, our caregivers can help with jobs around the house including:

• laundry
• light housekeeping
• meal planning
• meal preparation
• grocery shopping
• helping book other services through Vytality, such as snow clearance or gardening

Social contact and companionship

Loneliness can be a serious issue for seniors who have lost a spouse, when one day can run into another with no visitors. This isn’t always solved by a quick visit. Other home care providers might just come in and ‘do the necessary’, but not stay for more than 30 minutes.

We decided early on when starting up Vytality at Home that we would offer a 2 hour minimum visit time. This so that our caregivers can do what’s required, and still have plenty of time to sit for chat over a cup of coffee, or tackle a crossword puzzle together. What’s more, your parent or grandparent can choose their own caregiver, so it’s a familiar face who comes to see them. They both get to know each other better, so they feel more like a friend popping in to their home every week or every day, rather than a support worker doing a job.

Home care and you

Professional home care offers much-needed reassurance for you that your parent or grandparent is being looked after when you can’t be there. You can relax knowing exactly when and for how long our caregivers will be helping out. You can rest assured, for example, that meals have been planned, groceries bought, and meals cooked if required. You also know that our experienced caregivers will keep an eye for signs that your loved one now needs a little extra help than they needed six months ago, or need an extra grab rail in the bathroom, and advise you accordingly.

More time together

It’s also a relief to know that you can visit your parents to just be together, not work your way through a long list of chores! So you can enjoy time out on family visits and outings, go for a meal out, or visit a favourite park or coffee shop. It’s reassuring for both of you that aging relatives can continue to live in a Calgary district you both know, amongst good friends and neighbours, and enjoy life at their own pace.

To discuss home care in Calgary for your senior parents or grandparents, call us at 403 476 3680.