Key Takeaways:
- 24-hour home care for seniors involves a team of caregivers working in shifts to ensure someone is always awake and attentive to the client’s needs.
- This round-the-clock care is best for individuals with advanced Alzheimer’s or dementia, high fall risk patients, people facing severe mobility challenges, or those with palliative or hospice needs.
- Working with a local agency like Hahn Home Health Care offers advantages, including a deeper understanding of the community, smoother coordination with local medical providers, more flexibility, and potentially lower costs.
It’s tough when a loved one can’t safely stay home alone anymore, whether it’s because of old age or illness. Putting your once active and independent family member in a nursing home is heart-wrenching, and often, even they themselves would much rather stay in their own familiar space.
That’s where 24-hour home care comes in. This type of in-home support makes sure your loved one gets constant supervision and professional help, day and night, without having to uproot them from the comfort of home.
However, we know from talking to families that arranging professional home care is daunting. Many people just aren’t sure how to get 24-hour care for an elderly loved one at home, or what it all involves.
Hopefully, this guide will make the whole process much less daunting for you.
What Is 24-Hour Home Care and What Does It Entail?
As the term suggests, 24-hour care for seniors is a type of support where your loved one is never left alone. Caregivers work in rotating shifts, meaning there’s always someone awake and ready to help them at all hours.
This arrangement is so that the person who needs care is always safe and comfortable, especially if they need constant attention.
The daily tasks involved in this type of arrangement vary on a case-by-case basis, but typically, 24-hour care for seniors involves:
- Light housekeeping to keep the home neat and safe.
- Help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, grooming, and moving around.
- Meal preparation and feeding support as needed.
- Medication reminders and monitoring.
- Friendly companionship and emotional support.
These home care services also cover more intensive needs, such as:
- Incontinence care and help with toileting.
- Support with walking and moving safely (ambulation).
- Turning and repositioning to prevent bedsores for those who can’t move on their own.
What’s the Difference Between 24-Hour and Live-In Care?
The two are actually quite different.
The main distinction is that 24-hour care is for seniors and clients who need someone actively watching them around the clock due to medical or safety needs. This means that a client is assigned more than one caregiver. It could be a team of two caregivers doing 12-hour shifts or three doing 8-hour shifts.
On the other hand, live-in care involves just one caregiver who lives in the home for 24 hours but sleeps during the night. While they can be available if needed, they aren’t required to be continuously awake.
Warning Signs Your Loved One Needs Around-the-Clock Care
Knowing when it’s time to bring in professional 24-hour care for a senior loved one can be tricky. Unfortunately, many families only take the leap when something serious, like an accident, happens.
However, there are some clear signs that your loved one needs constant supervision and help at home, including:
- Advanced Alzheimer’s or dementia: The later stages of these conditions come with frequent wandering, confusion, disorientation (especially at night), and sometimes aggression.
- Recovering after surgery, with a high fall risk: Healing from major operations, particularly for seniors, comes with many complications. They may need help moving safely, staying on track with medication, and generally staying comfortable.
- Chronic illness or severe mobility challenges: Conditions that limit movement usually require round-the-clock assistance with grooming, eating, moving around, and more.
- Palliative or hospice needs: A 24-hour professional caregiver provides comfort and dignity in familiar surroundings for those in the final stages of illness.
If you’re wondering when and how to get 24-hour care for an elderly family member at home, recognizing these warning signs will ensure you take action before a crisis occurs.
What Is the Cost of 24-Hour Home Care?
Since it involves multiple caregivers working in shifts, 24-hour home care for seniors is generally more expensive than live-in care. With more staff involved and someone always awake and attentive, families can expect a higher investment for this level of support.
In most cases, professional home care providers charge by the hour, and rates vary from state to state, even between cities.
The level of care needed and the duration are also other important factors to consider. For example, a client with a condition like later-stage dementia requires a specialized caregiver, which can increase costs.
Furthermore, the cost of around-the-clock care for short-term recovery differs from that of the ongoing, long-term arrangements typically needed for seniors requiring 24-hour home care.
Some states in the U.S. offer programs that can help offset some home care expenses for eligible residents. These include Medicaid-based assistance or local aging services. If you’re exploring how to get 24-hour care for an elderly loved one at home, it’s worth checking with your state’s health department or local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for available resources.
The Benefits of Choosing a Local Agency Like Hahn Home Health Care
One of the best ways to make home care more cost-effective is to hire a local agency. But though cost is certainly important, it’s only a small part of finding the very best 24-hour home care for your senior loved one.
Many families find that local agencies provide a level of connection and responsiveness that larger, national franchises just can’t match.
For example, because Hahn Home Health Care is part of the Southeastern Massachusetts community, our team understands the local culture and daily rhythms. This makes a big difference in how well our caregivers bond with the client. We also often know the nearby hospitals, doctors, and rehabilitation facilities personally, which makes communication and coordination with their other care providers much smoother.
Local care like ours also allows for more flexibility and personal attention. You can easily speak directly with our owner, Larry, or our director of nursing without going through layers of corporate channels. Plus, because our caregivers live in the area, they respond quickly to any scheduling needs and changes that come up.
Learn More About 24-hour Home Care for Seniors
If you’ve been wondering how to get 24-hour care for an elderly loved one at home, Hahn Home Health Care can guide you through every step of the process. Our team will explain more about this type of care and help you decide if it’s the right solution for your loved one. Call us today!