Aged Care Services at Home 

Isolation and loneliness are recognised as an increasingly serious and growing problem for older Australians age. These can often have significant negative effects on an older person’s health such as increasing their risk of depression, anxiety or cognitive decline. Hence, it is important that older Australians continue to have access to social supports to maintain a sense of purpose and connection.
Not all family carers are able to be a 24-hour support or companion to an ageing family member. Therefore, the option of an in-home aged care support worker relieves the burden for families who still want to provide support but can’t be there every day.
In-Home aged care support workers provide conversation and encourage socialisation. They can also be a nurturing and comforting companion and re-instil meaning and purpose in life.

Nutrition and hydration are critical to health and recovery. Dehydration is a serious problem and can result in frequent hospitalisations if it is not managed. Poor nutrition has also been implicated in slower recovery from illness and an increase in hospitalisation. There are several factors which may contribute to either poor nutrition or dehydration in ageing adults receiving in-home aged care including:
• Lack of access to healthy food as many older adults might be housebound and unable to access supermarkets
• Difficulty with cooking and/or meal preparation
• Reduced appetite.

In-Home aged care support workers can shop for food, encourage fluid intake and make meals. They can also reinforce and track any special dietary requirements. At Home Care Assistance SE Melbourne, our care managers can work with you to assist you or your loved one with maintaining a healthy appetite whilst continuing to live at home

Heart and lung health are important components of overall health in seniors receiving in home aged care services. As we age, our heart and lung function tend to decline. Hence, it is important that we continue to support seniors in light exercise and healthy eating as this can benefit their overall heart and lung health.

At Home Care Assistance SE Melbourne, our carers can assist you or your loved one to maintain healthy heart and lung function as you age. Carers can also encourage deep breathing to prevent pneumonia and in some cases, check blood pressure.

Transportation is a significant challenge for many people. Most of us know of an older person who continues to drive, despite feeling that this may no longer be the best choice. Although it is hard to give up driving, having an alternative can make the decision easier.

One of the potential alternatives could be having aged care support worker available to assist you with transportation. In-Home aged care support worker can provide this valuable service, whether it is to attend important appointments or for socialising.

As the best option for transportation will depend on an individual’s needs and preferences. At Home Care Assistance SE Melbourne, we can organise for one of our care managers to assist you with finding the best option for you and your needs.

You may have had the experience of being physically limited by an accident or injury. If you have had this experience, you know how challenging it can be to do seemingly simple things like get dressed or shower, not to mention cook, clean or drive. This situation is made even more challenging as we age due to many factors such as
• Arthritis or joint pain
• Difficulty with fine motor skills
• Reduced muscle strength and/or deconditioning.
• Balance difficulties

Having home care services means an aged care support worker can assist with these routine activities of daily living (ADLs). Things like getting out of bed, showering, getting dressed and monitoring mobility. In-home aged care support worker can also help someone transfer from the bed to the toilet. Whatever the task, home care for the elderly bridges the gap that is often needed in order to offer safety and support in a familiar environment.

At Home Care Assistance SE Melbourne, our care managers can work with you to develop a care plan to assist you with ADLs so that you or your loved one can continue to live at home.

As we age, we often find it more difficult to maintain our levels of physical activity. This can often result in many negative effects such as deconditioning, reduced mobility, chronic pain, and increased falls risk. Therefore, many older people choose to work with physiotherapists to maintain their mobility and overall quality of life.

Movement after illness or surgery is critical to healing. Physiotherapy gets people on the right track but in most cases, there is an expectation of in-home activity and exercise by the individual. An in-home Carer can monitor those exercises to make certain they are done safely and adequately to ensure positive progress.

At Home Care Assistance, we can work with you or your loved one to ensure that you can maintain your physical function and mobility as you age.

Recovery for most of us means getting back to our previous level of functionality. Recovery in older adults generally takes longer and other co-occurring medical conditions can complicate the rehabilitation process. Therefore, older adults may require increased support to recover in their own homes. Here are some of the ways that in-home aged care can assist with recovery after a hospital visit
• Assistance with increasing independence with activities of daily living such as bathing, getting dressed and transfers.
• Wound care
• Coordination of allied health services such as physiotherapy and/or occupational therapy
• Nutritional support

An In-Home Carer can be an invaluable support for recovery in any number of situations including hospitalisation, an illness, a rehab stay or general decline that results in frailty. A good care plan developed the Home Care Assistance Care Team with feedback from the family and individual, can encourage a safe rehabilitation journey to recovery.