Home Care Services: You’ve heard of ADLs being an excellent guideline for determining if your parents need home care.
Have you considered the benefit of looking at IADLs, too? IADLs, or instrumental activities of daily living, are more complex skills that delve beyond walking around, using a toilet, or eating your meal. But, they are essential to your ability to live independently. You need to use these in decision-making. The chances are that your parents are fine on their own, but they just need that small helping hand to get through their week. Many of the Home Care Services that caregivers offer can help with these seven IADL categories.
#1 – Communication
Scheduling appointments or meetings over the phone or online is something your parents should be able to do, yet they’re not always able to. If they have a hard time hearing someone on the phone, seeing the buttons to dial, or figuring out how to book an appointment online, these are IADLs that caregivers can help them complete.
#2 – Housework
Housework doesn’t challenge everyone, but if your mom or dad develops painful arthritis, it may impact their ability to vacuum the stairs. Climbing a ladder to change a bulb or remove dust webs is dangerous when your ankles or knees ache. Changing sheets, washing dishes, and wiping down surfaces are other tasks that can become harder to manage.
#3 – Managing Medications
Many older adults take at least one prescription medication. Remembering to take them isn’t always easy. Ordering and picking up refills can also become a problem.
#4 – Paying Bills
Paying bills and ensuring there is enough money in an account to cover the bill is something else older adults can find difficult. Filling out a check, using the internet to pay a bill online, and checking balances are all aspects of financial management your parents may need help completing.
#5 – Preparing Meals
Can your mom and dad still cook meals? Do they rely on takeout and frozen foods regularly? Meal preparation services are worth considering if they can’t cook meals on their own.
#6 – Shopping
Do they shop for groceries independently or rely on you to read labels and check expiration dates? If they have a hard time creating a shopping list, avoiding extraneous purchases, or counting money at the register, caregivers are essential.
#7 – Transportation
Finally, it may be time to arrange to let someone else do the driving. If your mom and dad struggle with headlight glare, to stay in their lane, or to check their blind spot, it’s time to address having help with transportation.
Use an IADL checklist to determine what home care services are ideal for your parents. When you know, you’ll be able to discuss these services with a home care services specialist and get prices.
