The complexities of health issues facing the elderly are very broad, and while certain illnesses or disabilities may lead to hospitalisation for treatment, the length of time spent in hospital should be as short as possible.
If it’s at all possible for you and your family to accept the responsibility of caring for an elderly frail or disabled parent at home, the chances of a rapid decline in many areas can be slowed down.
Whether your loved one is physically frail or is facing a decrease in mental abilities, home will always be best. Even for a bedridden parent, home based care will make a big difference to their quality of life under difficult circumstances, rather than being relegated to permanent hospital care.
The love of family is important to our parents as they age, and it makes all the difference in tipping the scales from a quick decline in health to a more positive way of adjusting to these changes, physically and mentally.
There are of course illnesses that may well mean permanent hospital or nursing home admission for elderly frail or disabled people, but unless this is the case, home will always be best!
Decreased physical abilities
In studies that have been done regarding the admission of elderly frail people into hospitals, it has been found that in general, there is a notable decrease in the physical abilities of the already frail person.
Hospital infections
Another issue is that of having a compromised immune system that would easily pick up infections in the hospital, adding further health complications that could lead to serious illness and accelerate a decline in health.
Delirium
Because hospitals are unfamiliar surroundings for aging and frail people, the longer they are in the hospital, the more confused they become, which could lead to even longer stays in the hospital.
The loss of being in familiar, comforting surroundings is immense for any elderly frail person trying to adjust to being in a hospital ward, adding severe stress to an already difficult situation.
This confusion and stress can be a great cause for concern for the family, considering that from this state of confusion an elderly parent can develop what is known as delirium.
If left undiagnosed due to the fact that delirium doesn’t make a patient unruly or disruptive, it can increase or trigger the onset of dementia, which would then result in the need for permanent care in a nursing home.
The saddest aspect of the decline in physical and mental health for hospitalised elderly people, is that the combination of illness and dementia is often at the heart of a higher mortality rate.
Choosing home based nursing care
Everything that’s negative about prolonged hospital stays for the elderly is the complete opposite when an aging or disabled parent is cared for by their family at home.
This is where bringing in compassionate, professional and caring part-time or full time caregivers and nurses can make all the difference to your parent.
Our parents have given us the better part of their lives, and as age, illness or disability takes hold on them, it’s our turn to give back, and doing so is made a lot easier on all by trusting a reputable private home based care agency to provide the support you need.
As a top provider of live-in or part-time caregivers in South Africa, CareChamp has made caring for your parent at home as easy as possible.
With flexible, tailor-made care plans, CareChamp has made home based care the far better option to consider if you’re weighing the choice between hospitalisation or hiring a caregiver.
Please contact CareChamp today to find out more about disabled care, frail care or dementia care. It is a passion for the management team at CareChamp to keep the elderly at home, and out of hospital or nursing homes for as long as is possible, and theirs is a very high standard you can trust!