There is often more assistance available to aging adults than they and their caregivers realize, but sometimes you have to dig for that information.
What Agencies Offer Help at All
Before you know what to do to get help, you need to know what agencies in your area offer any sort of help or services at all. The best ways to get this information can be starting with your senior’s doctor or contacting your local health department. Both resources can help to point you in the right direction or offer you a list of the different agencies you might want to contact.
What Specific Services Each Agency Offers
The complicating thing about having different agencies offering help to aging adults is that each one tends to focus on a specific aspect of offering help. So one agency may offer transportation assistance and that’s it. Others may offer meal delivery, companionship, and caregiver support services. Until you really dig in and figure out what services each group offers, you don’t have a full picture.
Whether You Need to Apply for Help
Some agencies can have a stringent application process. This often has to do with the fact that they operate as a result of grants that give them guidelines for what they can do. This application process helps these agencies to ensure that they’re following their own guidelines to the letter. Some agencies have much more freedom than others do and that can mean that the application process is more streamlined.
What Fees Are Involved
While there are groups and agencies that offer volunteer help to your elderly family member at no fee, there are many others that do charge fees. It’s really important to ask about this at the beginning so that you’re not surprised when you sign up for services and amass a bill you weren’t expecting.
How to Take Full Advantage of These Options
Once you have more information about the services available in your area, it’s up to you as your aging family member’s caregiver to determine the best combination. Take the time to read through your notes and any literature you’ve collected from the various agencies and determine how to best take advantage of what’s offered.
Consider keeping a notebook just for these types of inquiries. You can leave a page or two for each agency and keep your notes all in one place. Keep in mind that even if an agency can’t help you now, they may be just what you need down the line a bit.
If you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in Far West Houston, TX, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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