Home healthcare is one of the fastest growing industries today. This is partly because people are living longer now than they used to and partly because more families are keeping their aging parents at home instead of placing them in long-term care facilities. If you have a parent that is having problems living alone, you might be trying to decide which option to use for him or her. Choosing home health is a great way to keep your parent at home for a longer period of time, but there are several things that could prevent this from being the best arrangement. Here are two factors you will need to evaluate as you make this decision.

The Condition Of Your Parent's Home

The first thing to consider is the condition of your parent's home. By evaluating the home he or she lives in, you will be able to determine if living at home with the help of a home caregiver would be a good option. As you evaluate the home, you should consider the following factors:

• Cleanliness – Is the home clean, or is it cluttered with stuff he or she has been saving for many years? If the home is too cluttered or dirty, it might be hard to find a home caregiver that will be willing to provide help to him or her. Your parent's home must also have a good heating and air conditioning system too, so he or she can stay comfortable all year round.
• Safety – You should also consider how safe the home is for your parent to live in. When you hire a home caregiver, the caregiver will probably only be there for a few hours each day. While you could hire a caregiver for more hours than this, it is not likely you would hire one to be there around the clock every day and night. Will your parent be safe in this house when the caregiver is not around? This is a question you will need to answer.
• Ease of mobility – If your parent uses a cane, walker, or wheelchair, can he or she easily get around the house? Are the hallways and doorways wide enough? Does the house have stairs or uneven floors?

If you feel like your parent's house would be safe and set up in a way that allows your parent to get around, then hiring a home caregiver might be the right option.

The Ability For Your Parent To Communicate

A second thing to consider is the ability your parent has to communicate when he or she is home alone. Does your parent have a telephone, and can he or she use is properly? In the event of an emergency, would your parent have the clarity of mind to call 911?

Hiring a home caregiver is a great idea if your parent is still able to think rationally and communicate with others while home alone, but it might not be wise if your parent is not able to think clearly and handle minor tasks like making phone calls.

In addition, you might want to consider how your parent would handle receiving phone calls. Elderly people often get scammed through telephone calls, and this is often because they trust people and get worried when someone says they owe money. If you are worried about this and decide to hire a home caregiver, you might want to develop a strategy to prevent this from happening. One option is to take your parent's credit cards away, so he or she would not be able to use them when they are alone.

If your parent is capable of staying at home with some help from a home caregiver, he or she is likely to be happier and more comfortable. To learn more about this, contact a company that offers home healthcare services, such as Devoted Guardians.