It’s a tough question to ask, and for many of us, we feel selfish for wanting to take a trip or go on vacation while we’re caring for an elderly family member.
You need to allow yourself a break every once in a while and a trip is one of the best ways to reset yourself and put yourself in a new mindset. You come home refreshed, excited, full of new ideas.
But then you remember that your grandmother will have nobody to watch over her. How can you leave and let her stay at home by herself?
Luckily, there are plenty of options to help give you peace of mind, and give your loved one the best care possible.
In-Home Care Service
This type of service involves 24 hour care, where a nurse, home health aid, or other healthcare professional will live in the home with your loved one. This is generally best for those family members that require constant care and attention. Finding an in-home care service in your area is simple, finding one you trust can be more difficult. We recommend asking around first. A testimonial from someone you know can put you at ease. Also take a look at online reviews to see what people are saying about that company. Then call and make an appointment to meet and talk to whoever will be taking care of your loved one. If you don’t feel comfortable, say no. It’s up to you to decide the home care service you want to use.
Daily Visits
The homecare service you find will also likely provide daily visits from a healthcare professional. They can perform routine tasks like cleaning, laundry, cooking, running errands. You can have a specialist like an RN stop by if your loved one requires certain medical treatments daily.
Stay in touch
Once you decide on the homecare service you’d like to use, and found a provider who you feel comfortable leaving to care for your loved one, figure out how you’ll stay in touch. Maybe you’d like a phone call or email each day from the provider. You could set up a Skype account and use an iPad or laptop in your loved one’s home, and have the provider set everything up so you can video chat at different times during your trip.
Emergency Plan
In the unfortunate case of an emergency, know what you’d like your provider to do. Leave the number of your loved one’s doctor with the provider. Also leave contact information for another relative or someone you trust nearby in case you cannot be reached or are out of the country.
With the availability of trustworthy, professional home care services you are bound to find someone capable of caring for your loved one while you’re away. If you’re in the Southwest Florida area and ever need some extra assistance caring for someone, or are planning a trip and would like some peace of mind, call Just Like Family Home Care at 239-431-6661.
The Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s holiday periods are among the busiest long-distance travel periods of the year. During the 6-day Thanksgiving travel period, the number of long-distance trips (to and from a destination 50 miles or more away) increases by 54 percent, and during the Christmas/New Year’s Holiday period the number rises by 23 percent, compared to the average number for the remainder of the year. And although heavy media attention focuses on crowded airports and bus and train stations on the Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving, when personal vehicle trips are added to the mix the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) reveals that Thanksgiving Day is actually a heavier long-distance travel day than Wednesday.
justlikefamilyhomecare.wordpress.com 