Dad’s Reason for hiring home care, now makes so much sense:
To be honest, I was surprised when I learned that my father had hired home care services. It is not that I spend a lot of time with him, but I have made it a habit of checking in on him at least once or twice a week. He is 81 and has been living alone for more than 15 years. I think he’s done a good job of taking care of himself and he doesn’t seem to need a lot of help with many things.
So when he told me that he had hired an in-home care provider, I’m sure the look of surprise on my face told him exactly what I was thinking at that moment. He laughed lightly, then the smile crept across his face, and then he nodded and said, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
He proceeded to tell me that he had hired this in-home care provider because he was tired of eating alone every evening of the week. I felt guilty about that. Even though I live 10 miles from his house, I am also alone so there was no reason for me to not spend some more time with him. He assured me that his decision had nothing to do with whether or not I spent more time with him.
He said it had to do with the desire for companionship or company while he ate, that wasn’t family. He said that he likes to talk about his life and some of the things that he used to do. The problem, at least the way he sees it, was that I had already heard the stories a hundred times during my life and wouldn’t be interested in hearing them again.
I drove home that evening wondering if he was allowed to do this. I didn’t know whether he could actually hire home care services just for companionship while he ate one or two meals a week. I didn’t want him to get in trouble, so I checked with a few agencies in the area.
They assured me that as long as he could pay for that level of care, there was no reason why he could not have a home care aide help him prepare a meal and then sit and eat with him. Home care services can provide a wide range of support for various reasons. Even for the elderly individual who feels lonely, an in-home care provider can prove to be an amazing support system.
If you are considering care for you or a loved one, please call Nightingale Private Care @ 772-245-8390.
