Why Community Care May Be Your Ideal Aged Care Solution
It can be tricky knowing just how to offer support to elderly parents who are still incredibly independent, and value that independence as a part of their identity. On the outside, it may seem like these highly-active elderly loved ones don’t necessarily need any care, but it’s certainly better to have access to support rather than saying no to valuable resources altogether.
That’s why community care may be the ideal aged care solution to elderly loved ones who are quite comfortable living in their own homes. By its nature, community care is a highly flexible and adaptable aged care solution, that can be molded to best fit the needs of an individual.
Read on to unearth all the benefits, as well as the variety of forms and care options that accompany community care. Find out exactly what makes this modern aged care solution perfectly suited to highly independent elderly parents and loved ones.
Tailor-made Support Both In-Home And Away From Home
Community care can take on many different forms, and doesn’t necessarily just have to consist of static weekly home visits made by a nurse or registered carer. There are a plethora of different personal services available when creating a community care plan for any individual, ranging from support with grocery shopping and meal preparation, to assistance with other household tasks like cleaning and even pet care.
Community care plans may also allow individuals to access local support groups or join social clubs, ensuring that your elderly parents or loved ones can spend time with their peers during the week.
Consistent Care Workers To Foster A Sense Of Community
One of the most valuable benefits to community care is its ability to actually provide individuals with a strong sense of community. Over the past few decades, social scientists have discovered a wealth of health benefits that accompany connecting with one’s community, with some studies also showing that being a member of a strong community can also yield immense positive impacts on an individual’s physical and emotional health and wellbeing.
With this research in mind, modern aged care providers have been working hard to adapt their care plans and packages with the intentions of fostering a sense of community wherever possible in order to provide a truly holistic care solution.
This will mean that through their community care plan, your elderly parents and loved ones are likely to be met with the same carers every week, ensuring that they will always see a familiar face and build valuable personal relationships with their carers rather than just feeling limited to professional interactions alone.
Priority Access To Local Healthcare And Support Services
One of the most practical benefits of community care is naturally making sure that your elderly parents and loved ones have total access to local healthcare and other support services such as nursing hotlines and specialist clinical care.
As community care providers design packages to suit the specific needs of the individuals receiving care, any personal healthcare needs that your parents or loved ones may have are guaranteed to be accommodated in their personal care plan, meaning that your elderly loved one will be receiving the best care possible, and that any health concerns that may arise are increasingly likely to be recognised early, and addressed just as promptly.
Alongside access to innovative healthcare, the resources available with community care providers may also allow your elderly parents or loved ones to attain priority assistance at their local clinics, hospital, and with other support organizations. These resources can truly be indispensable to both the individuals receiving care, as well as their family and loved ones.
Freedom To Craft Your Own Social Schedule
Despite many day-to-day benefits that community care has to offer, the most attractive benefit of community care for elderly individuals by far has to be the ability to retain as much of their independence and personal life as possible.
The comfort of living in their own home, however, isn’t just the only freedom that community care packages offer to your elderly parents and loved ones. The freedom to plan your own weekly schedule can be incredibly empowering in itself, and will ensure that your elderly loved ones stay both in control and also maintain feelings of liberation and excitement for their new schedules upon first experiencing their community care plan.
Filling their weekdays up with physical activities like gym classes or dog-walking, as well as time spent with community groups, will ensure that your loved ones feel enriched throughout the week, allowing them to spend their weekends doing what makes them feel happiest: spending time with their grandchildren and other family members!
As you can see, community care can take on many forms and can consist of many faces, including the familiar faces of carers, as well as of peers your elderly loved ones may befriend during social groups, gym classes, and other opportunities for enrichment that may be available to them in the development of their weekly care schedule.
If you’re considering a community care package for your elderly parent or loved one, be sure to communicate with them and ask for their input in the development of their care plan, and encourage them to share their schedule with their friends and family.