Seniors in Transition: Judging When It's Time to Get Help at Home

Getting sufficient help at home to remain safe can be more a question about the health of your pocketbook than your personal health. All sorts of home care is available, from licensed round-the-clock registered nurses to occasional help from a non-professional homemaker. Costs can range from thousands of dollars per month to just hundreds, but it is always expensive, and costs rarely go down over time. In addition to the financial costs, there are personal trade-offs that stem from lack of privacy and a concern about strangers. Most care routines involve scheduling at least three different caregivers a week. Round-the-clock scheduling requires several persons who come and go at all times. For these reasons, many seniors avoid getting help even if it's needed. However, in-home help sometimes is the only way one can safely remain at home.
Here are the risk factors that contribute to accidents and health decline. If you fit one or more of these descriptions, it may be time to make in-home care arrangements:
You have a history of falling (with our without injury). This means you have fallen more than once in the past year;
You are unable to stand from a sitting position or sit from a standing position without assistance or serious risk of falling;
You get dizzy when rising from bed or a chair; You have a recent history of weight loss or gain of more than 10 lbs;
You cannot drive or get to outside appointments without assistance;
You cannot dress your upper or lower body without assistance;
You cannot walk more than 50 feet without help or feeling short of breath;
You have vision problems that prevent you from reading or taking your medications.
If these problems sound familiar to you, call a local home health provider or your physician's office and request a home safety evaluation. Home health agencies can provide you with a list of resources to contact. Home care organizations often base their recommendations on a free in-home evaluation performed by professional social workers or physical therapists, who will help you understand all the available resources that you can access in order to stay in your own home safely and securely.