You and your aging parents are cities or provinces apart. Your dad has early dementia and lives at home with your mom. You’ve agreed as a family that your elderly parents need help at home. Mom agrees - now where do you look?
First, know what type of service you want and the terminology to use when searching.
Adult day care programs are offered in the community to provide social activities and health or medical care. The individual might attend one to five days a week.
Home care or community care programs are offered to help people remain in their own homes, reduce admission to hospital or long-term care, and to allow earlier discharge from hospital. These services are offered through public and private agencies. Public programs are managed by local health authorities and vary across the provinces. Private services are offered by for-profit agencies and fees/services vary across the specific agency.
Respite care is temporary support, given to provide relief to the family. If Mom is taking care of Dad at home and needs a break, you will want to find respite, or relief services. Generally, these programs are offered by the local health authority or through voluntary or private companies.
Start your search with terms like “home health care” in your parents’ city/town, as well as “seniors services” by province or municipality.
Vol. 3, No. 9, © ElderWise Inc. 2007-2013.
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