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In-home personal care services may not be the first phrase that comes to mind when you begin looking for a caregiver for an aging parent. You may simply know that Mom needs more help getting dressed in the morning. Dad may be less steady getting in and out of the shower. Meals may be getting skipped, errands are becoming difficult, or everyday routines are taking more energy than they used to.
For many families in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, this is how the search for a caregiver begins. Understanding what an in-home caregiver can help with can make it easier to determine the right level of support for your parent while helping them remain comfortable and independent at home.
Key Takeaways
- In-home caregivers can help aging parents with bathing, dressing, mobility, meals, transportation, companionship and other everyday needs.
- Families do not have to wait until a parent needs full-time care. Support can begin with just a few hours based on their needs.
- “In-home personal care services” generally refers to hands-on, non-medical help with everyday activities such as bathing, grooming, dressing and toileting.
- Home care can help older adults continue living safely and comfortably in their own homes.
- Scottsdale and Paradise Valley families should look for an established home care agency that carefully screens caregivers and can adjust care as needs change.
What Can a Caregiver Help My Aging Parent With?
Care at home can look different for every person. Some older adults need help with a few specific tasks, such as transportation, meal preparation or companionship. Others benefit from more hands-on assistance with bathing, dressing, mobility and other daily routines.
An in-home caregiver may help with:
- Bathing and personal hygiene
- Dressing and grooming
- Toileting assistance
- Mobility around the home
- Getting in and out of a bed or chair
- Meal preparation
- Grocery shopping and errands
- Transportation
- Light housekeeping
- Medication reminders
- Companionship and social interaction
- Respite for family caregivers
- Alzheimer’s and dementia support
The goal is to provide the level of help your parent needs while supporting the routines and independence they value. For one family, that may mean a caregiver several mornings a week. For another, it may mean daily, overnight or 24-hour support.
What Are In-Home Personal Care Services?
When researching caregivers, you may come across the term in home personal care services. Personal care simply refers to hands-on assistance with everyday activities that may become more difficult with age, illness, disability or changes in mobility.
For example, if your mom needs someone nearby while she showers, assistance getting dressed or help safely moving from her bed to a chair, those needs generally fall under personal care.
Personal care can include help with:
Bathing and Hygiene
Changes in strength, balance or mobility can make getting in and out of a shower more challenging. A caregiver can provide assistance based on the person’s individual needs and comfort level.
Dressing and Grooming
Buttons, shoes, socks and certain types of clothing may become more difficult to manage over time. Caregivers can also assist with grooming and other personal routines.
Toileting
Some older adults need help getting safely to and from the bathroom or completing toileting routines.
Mobility and Transfers
A caregiver may assist with moving safely around the home or transitioning between a bed, chair and other areas. These are very personal parts of someone’s day, which makes finding a caregiver your parent trusts and feels comfortable with especially important.
How Do I Know If My Parent Needs a Caregiver?
There is not always one obvious moment when a family realizes it is time for help. Often, the signs appear gradually.
You may notice that your parent:
- Is wearing the same clothes more frequently
- Is bathing less often
- Has difficulty standing up from a chair
- Seems less steady while walking
- Has stopped preparing regular meals
- Is struggling to keep up with laundry or household routines
- Is missing appointments
- No longer feels comfortable driving
- Is becoming more isolated
- Is forgetting familiar routines
- Is relying more heavily on a spouse or family member
One change by itself may not mean that your parent needs ongoing care. When several aspects of daily life are becoming more difficult, having additional support at home may help your parent continue living safely and comfortably in familiar surroundings.
Does My Parent Have to Need a Lot of Help Before We Hire a Caregiver?
No. Families can bring in caregiver support based on the individual’s current needs. Your dad may still be very independent but need transportation to appointments and help preparing a few meals each week. Your mom may manage most of her day independently but feel more comfortable having someone nearby for showering and morning routines. Your parents may still live together successfully, but one spouse may be handling an increasing amount of caregiving and need regular respite.
In-home care can support the areas that have become difficult while allowing an older adult to continue managing the activities they can safely do themselves. Starting with a smaller amount of assistance can also give your parent time to build a comfortable relationship with a caregiver before additional support becomes necessary.
Can a Caregiver Come for Only a Few Hours?
Caregiver schedules can be based on the amount of help a person needs. For some families, a caregiver may come in the morning to assist with bathing, dressing, breakfast and getting ready for the day. Other families may need afternoon support with errands, meals, transportation or companionship.
Additional care may also be appropriate in the evening, overnight or throughout the day. As your parent’s needs change, the amount and type of support can change too. This flexibility is one reason families explore in-home care when their goal is to help a loved one continue aging in place.
How Can a Caregiver Help My Parent Stay at Home?
Many older adults want to continue living in the home and community they know. Aging in place often becomes easier when the right support is available as daily needs change.
A caregiver can help an older adult maintain important routines related to:
- Personal hygiene
- Meals and hydration
- Mobility
- Transportation
- Social interaction
- Household activities
- Appointments and errands
- Daily schedules
For adult children, professional caregiver support can also make it easier to balance the needs of an aging parent with careers, children, travel and other responsibilities. This can be especially important for families in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley whose adult children may live across the Valley or in another state. Having dependable support in place can provide greater confidence that Mom or Dad has assistance when family cannot be there personally.
What Is the Difference Between a Caregiver and Home Health Care?
Families often encounter several similar terms when they begin looking for help. Home With Help provides non-medical home care. Non-medical caregivers assist with everyday activities such as personal care, companionship, meal preparation, mobility, transportation and household routines.
Home health care generally involves medical or clinical services provided by qualified healthcare professionals. An older adult may receive both types of support depending on their needs.
For example, a healthcare provider may be involved with medical treatment while a non-medical caregiver assists with bathing, meals, mobility, companionship and everyday routines. Home care can also complement the work of hospice providers, home health agencies, rehabilitation professionals and other members of an older adult’s care team.
What If My Parent Has Alzheimer’s or Dementia?
Families caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia may need additional support as routines and abilities change. A non-medical caregiver can assist with daily activities, personal care, meals, companionship and familiar routines.
Consistency can be particularly valuable for someone living with memory loss. Caregiver support can also provide much-needed respite for spouses and adult children who have been handling most of the caregiving responsibilities themselves.
Because dementia care needs can change over time, ongoing communication between the family and the home care provider is important.
How Do I Find a Trusted Caregiver in Scottsdale or Paradise Valley?
Inviting someone into your parent’s home is an important decision. When comparing home care agencies, ask questions about how caregivers are selected, screened and supported.
Questions may include:
- How are caregivers screened?
- Are background checks completed?
- What training do caregivers receive?
- Are caregivers insured?
- How are caregivers matched with clients?
- What happens if a caregiver is unavailable?
- Who can our family contact when care needs change?
- Is management available outside normal business hours?
- Can the care schedule change as my parent’s needs change?
- Does the agency have experience serving families in our community?
Home With Help is a locally owned, family-operated home care agency based in Scottsdale and serving families throughout the Phoenix metro area.
Home With Help has served Arizona families since 2002 and provides non-medical in-home support for older adults and people with disabilities. Our caregivers undergo background searches, interviews and reference checks and are bonded and insured. Caregiver matching is based on each client’s individual needs and requirements.
Families also have access to Home With Help management 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
How Do I Talk to My Parent About Getting a Caregiver?
For many families, talking about care can feel more difficult than researching it. It may help to start the conversation around the parts of daily life your parent would like to make easier.
Consider asking:
- Which parts of your day have become more tiring?
- Is there anything around the house you wish someone could help you with?
- Would having someone help with meals or errands make the week easier?
- Are there times when you feel less steady or confident at home?
- Would having help with showering or getting ready make you feel more comfortable?
- What would make it easier for you to continue living at home?
These questions give your parent an opportunity to share their concerns and preferences while remaining involved in decisions about their care.
Caregiver Support for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley Families
Families searching for care do not need to know exactly what service to ask for before starting the conversation. You may simply know someone you love could use more support.
Home With Help provides non-medical caregivers who assist older adults and people with disabilities with personal care, companionship, homemaking, respite care, Alzheimer’s and dementia support and other everyday needs. We serve families throughout Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.
Whether your parent needs help with a few specific activities or more consistent support throughout the week, understanding what has become difficult is a good place to start. Reach out anytime with questions at 482-941-0200.
Frequently Asked Questions About Caregivers and Personal Care
What does a caregiver do for an elderly parent?
An in-home caregiver can assist an older adult with personal care, bathing, dressing, grooming, mobility, meal preparation, transportation, companionship, errands, household routines and other non-medical needs.
What are in-home personal care services?
In-home personal care services provide hands-on, non-medical help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting and mobility. Personal care may be combined with companionship, meals, transportation and other caregiver services.
When should I consider getting a caregiver for my parent?
It may be helpful to explore caregiver support when everyday activities are becoming more difficult, your parent is relying more heavily on family, safety or mobility concerns are increasing, or family caregivers need additional support.
Can someone come to help my mom shower and get dressed?
Yes. Personal care can include assistance with bathing, hygiene, grooming, dressing, toileting and other everyday routines.
Can my parent have a caregiver even if they are still independent?
Yes. Many older adults who receive home care remain independent in many areas of their lives. Care can focus specifically on the activities where additional support would be helpful.
Can a caregiver help someone with dementia?
Non-medical caregivers can assist people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia with personal care, familiar routines, meals, companionship and other everyday activities. Caregiver support can also provide respite for family members.
Does Home With Help provide caregivers in Scottsdale?
Yes. Home With Help is based in Scottsdale and serves families throughout Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and the greater Phoenix metro area.
Finding the Right Help for Mom or Dad
You do not need to know the industry terminology before asking for help.
If your parent is struggling with everyday routines, becoming less confident at home or relying more heavily on family, exploring professional caregiver support can help you understand what options are available.
The right level of care can help an aging parent continue enjoying the comfort, routines and independence of home while giving the entire family greater confidence that dependable support is available when it is needed.
Home With Help has been serving Arizona families since 2002 with compassionate, non-medical in-home care.
Need help understanding what type of caregiver support may be right for your parent? Contact Home With Help to start the conversation.