Do you need at-home elder care services for your parents, spouse, or other family members? When looking for reliable elder care services, you want to ensure that they are qualified to provide the type of home healthcare that you need.
Recent polls have shown that for individuals over 65, over 90% haven’t discussed the possibility that they may need long-term care with their immediate family members. This discussion needs to occur with partners, spouses, parents, and adult children in order to make informed decisions ahead of time. Furthermore, when possible, it is important to honor your loved one’s choices.
There are several reasons why you may need in-home care for a family member. In 2010, for example, around 12 million people received in-home care for the following reasons:
- Acute illness
- Long-term health conditions
- Permanent disability
- Terminal illness
Assisted living care has been provided for a number of common chronic conditions. The most common, however, is high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s, and other forms of dementia. Over three-fourths of individuals that receive assisted living services had a minimum of two-out-of-ten of common chronic conditions.
Women 65 and older appear to need the services of home health care more than do men within this age bracket. It was found that women were 55% more likely to need these services. Many women that needed home healthcare were also found to be widowed, and were three-times as likely to be widowed as men of that age or older.
When considering the current or potential need for long-term care, it was found that 30% of the older population will have substantial long-term care needs. Approximately 25% of these senior citizens are 85 or older. Given this age bracket, 70% claim that they have fair or poor health.
On an annual basis, over eight million individuals receive support services from the following types of providers:
- Home health agencies: 4,742,500
- Nursing homes: 1,383,700
- Hospices: 1,244,500
- Residential care communities: 713,300
- Adult day service centers: 273,200
Individuals that are 65 and older tend to experience a higher probability of becoming disabled. This includes a 68% likelihood that they will experience physical as well as cognitive issues. Alzheimer’s, for example, which is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, affects women more often than men. Nearly two-thirds of the individuals who have Alzheimer’s are women.
Whether you currently need elder care services or are exploring your options for the future, it’s important to discuss all the details with your immediate family members. Furthermore, if you are planning for your own rather than another family member’s healthcare needs, be sure to discuss your wishes and preferred choices with your family.