After many years of working, it’s a relief for some to finally retire and spend some time at home. For others, it brings new concerns about whether it is a result of health problems or injuries. The older we get, the harder it becomes to look after ourselves even in our own home. Therefore, this guide will talk about home care options that are available after retirement, including some of which may be included in self managed home care packages.
Immediately, some people will dislike the term ‘home care’ because they think it means an end to independence. In reality, many different options are available depending on what you need. Before clicking away, browse through the options below because some may help to make your life that little bit easier.
Home Care Options
Independence and Wellbeing
Firstly, you’ll find services that are designed to keep you independent and well in life. Depending on your needs, this could include nursing services, allied health, and personal care. Rather than coming in and taking over every aspect of your life, the aim is to keep you independent despite certain restrictions.
Safety in the Home
Sometimes, people need help to remain safe in the home after retirement. For instance, this could include home maintenance, cleaning, assistive technology, and home modifications. Not everybody will need this service, but it lends a helping hand whenever you need it.
Socialising and Keeping Connections
Finally, another option is to choose a service designed to keep you connected with friends, family, ex-colleagues, and the rest of the community. As well as maintaining your diary and offering social support to prevent loneliness and isolation, this can involve transportation to and from events.
Individual Services
With some services, like D.A.N.S In-Home Care, it’s possible to build a package depending on what you can and can’t do around the home. For some people, they’re physically active but need some help with the weekly tasks in life. For others, they have a disability that prevents them from performing certain tasks.
With the right service, you can build a package from individual services such as:
Nursing Care – If you have an illness or disability, nursing care would include wound care, consulting with your doctor, assisting with medication, health checks, and continence management.
Personal Care – Following a similar theme, some people in retirement need help with simple day-to-day tasks. This might include getting dressed in the morning, bathing, grooming, and looking after oneself each day.
Social Support – You might need transportation to medical appointments if you don’t drive and the doctor’s office is some distance away. Otherwise, many companies extend their social support to transport for outings. Sadly, loneliness and isolation are two common problems for retirees, but the right service will ensure that you don’t miss important social events on the calendar.
Cleaning – While some need help with themselves, others need it for their home. Are you having trouble keeping your home clean? If so, get in touch with a home care service for help.
Food Preparation – For some services, they value a good diet in retirement and will assist with hydration, meal preparation, and nutrition.
Garden Maintenance – That’s right, those who thought home care had to mean 24/7 nursing should now see that it expands beyond extensive care. Lots of people just need their lawn mown every so often to keep the home looking attractive at all times.
Respite Care – What if a family member currently takes care of things we’ve discussed in this guide? Well, you can book respite care so that your loved ones get a break (whether it’s two hours or a full day per week!).