SENIOR CARE
At Helping Hands we also help families find suitable caregivers for the elderly and disabled. A live-in caregiver
is an excellent alternative to institutionalized care. Live-In caregivers can also provide help to recovering,
disabled, chronically or terminally ill adults who would ordinarily be cared for in a nursing home or hospital.
The life expectancy of Canadian seniors has risen substantially over the course of the last century. Seniors are one of the fastest growing population groups in Canada. In fact, the senior population has grown about twice as fast as the overall population since the early 1980s. As a result, more than one out of every 8 Canadians is now a senior. The rapid growth in the size of the senior population is also expected to continue well into the future, particularly when those born during the baby boom years from 1946 to 1966 begin turning age 65 early in the second decade of the new century. Statistics Canada has projected, for example, that by 2021 there will be almost 7 million seniors, who will represent 19% of the total population, and that by 2041 there will be over 9 million seniors, who will make up an estimated 25% of the population. This will put a great strain of community programs and institutional care that serves the senior age cohort.
Senior focus groups have identified the following core principles that should be considered: Dignity, Independence, Participation, Fairness, and Security. That is why caregivers are such a great option. Many seniors and/or their family want their loved one to have the choice to stay at home as long as possible. They no longer have to give up their home, their privacy and their freedom. Caregivers offer the solution of companionship, comfort and safety in their own home.
Just as child care is an important issue for many families, there is now a greater need for options in senior care. Caregivers have become an affordable option; an alternative to institutionalized care.
Professional caregivers are trained overseas in area such as nursing and physical therapy, allowing seniors, personals with disabilities, and individuals with special needs to remain in their own homes while receiving optimal personalized care. This means your loved one will receive one-on-one care, which is an unachievable standard in any public or private long-term care facility.
Areas of assistance include, but are not limited to:
- Companionship
- Meal preparation
- Assistance with bathing, showering and other hygiene activities
- Household cleaning
- Wash laundry, change linen
- Wash and stack dishes
- Assist with administering medications
- Chores such a grocery shopping
- Outing such as trips to the library