Routine caregiving supports older adults in Duluth, GA, to retain independence by assisting them with routine tasks while allowing them to continue to call the shots, including, but not limited to, retaining ownership and control of the home. Along with this, a care plan must cover the apartment, how guests access the building, the presence and operation of an elevator, how guests will have their deliveries accommodated, and how care will be provided when no person from the care team is present.
When it comes to your parent's aging alone in a Duluth apartment, I'll begin my planning at the unit level and expand my thinking to the building. The care plan is where the rubber meets the road, and is only useful when it addresses the day-to-day realities involved with the older adult leaving and entering the unit.
How does Duluth Apartment Living Impact Access, Parking, Elevators, and Deliveries?
Care in a Duluth apartment may involve many more steps than care in a single family residence.
This is important.
Buildings with controlled access, call boxes, key fobs, visitors' parking, elevators, and front desks all factor into the accessibility of care. There is no reason an older adult living alone should have to become their own accessibility problem.
I would ensure the Care Plan answers practical questions like:
Where does the Care Pro park?
Does the building work with visitor passes?
Is there a gate, call box, or a locked lobby?
Who do we call when the elevator is out?
Where would like us to send groceries and deliveries?
Can the Care Pro come in if the older adult is resting or slow to come to the door?
Typically, these questions are not a major concern. However, these can impact whether you can start a visit on time and whether you can fit other activities around it.
For Senior Care in Duluth, these logistical issues should be part of the first discussions about access to the building, as logistics should be part of the overall care consideration, along with meals, routines, and companionship.
There are other changes that come with living in an apartment that affects how you do your errands. Bringing groceries from the parking spot is more of a challenge. So is making a delivery slot and standing by your care receiver to walk them to and from the elevator and lobby.
Just because you live in a smaller space does not mean the level of overall care is less, merely that it is different.
Which Daily Routines Are Easiest to Support in a Smaller Space?
A Smaller space often makes it easier to see which parts of the day are hard to support.
I wouldn’t begin with a long list of all possible tasks a Care Pro could perform. I would begin with the regular routines of someone’s day.
Let’s say someone has not lost all their independence and still makes their own breakfast, but may need assistance with other routines later such as lunch preparation, laundry, doing household chores, or preparing for an errand. For someone else, independence may mean eating a meal with companionship, and assistance with keeping their apartment neat and tidem.
The goal is not to take over someone’s apartment. The goal is to find those daily routines where someone else can be of assistance.
Here is an example of some daily care task routines and what should be documented in a Care Plan.
|
Time of the day |
What to look at |
What the Care Plan should address |
|
Morning |
Getting ready, eating breakfast, getting organized |
Which day routines the older adult wants to keep |
|
Midday |
Eating, doing laundry, household chores, errands |
Which tasks should be accomplished during the scheduled visit |
|
Afternoon |
Companionship, appointments, errands |
How to best manage transportation, assist accessing the building |
|
Evening |
Eating, preparing meal, tidying, preparing for night and day ahead |
Before the Care Pro leaves what tasks should be done to ensure the apartment is prepared |
|
Between each Care Pro visit |
Alone time |
Who to call if a need is discovered |
There are many home care services offered by Home Instead to assist you while you create a Care Plan.
The important question isn't, “What can someone do for my parent?”
The important question is, “What part of the day would be easier with someone else there?”
This keeps the older adult in control of the care and avoids expanding care beyond what is necessary.
How to Approach Family Update Calls When There's No One Else Home?
Most older adults don't want their friends and family to know everything that happens in their lives. Family members want to know how visitation is going, but there are other factors to consider. For starters, feedback should be given at the person's discretion and should not compromise their privacy. This is where some family members may struggle to come up with a plan.
First, establish what feedback you expect to receive, and who gets that feedback. Second, consider what constitutes a significant enough occurrence to warrant feedback in lieu of waiting for the planned update.
You're probably more likely to reach consensus in the first meeting about all the above than at subsequent meetings.
This should not be an opportunity for family members to take control of the care recipient's daily activities. An update should rarely be necessary depending on what routine the older adult has in place that week. Examples include whether the bread they like to eat is available, whether the adult stayed home, or whether the planned activity occurred.
It is also important to consider the older adult's daily activities and routines. For instance, did they request meals be brought to them instead of eating by themselves?
If you live in the Duluth area and can visit your parent there more than those who live further out, ask them how changes to the Care Plan are communicated or made, and who should be involved in these changes.
Many people who have care coordinated through the Lawrenceville office may find it helpful to know about the Lawrenceville home care service area and the team responsible for the plan.
What can a Care Pro not monitor between visits?
A Care Pro can provide support while they are in the apartment, but they cannot monitor what occurs after the end of the visit. Non-medical home care cannot substitute for services such as skilled nursing, medical care, or emergency care.
This is especially critical for people who live alone.
When a Care Pro leaves at the end of the visit, an older adult may be left alone for several hours before a family member checks in or until the next visit. The Care Plan cannot indicate that the adult is under continuous monitoring.
I would pay close attention to what occurs during those gaps in time.
Can the older adult move about the apartment? Can the adult use the phone in order to ask for assistance? Do they know what to do when something is changed from what was planned? Are there times of the day when the current arrangement is no longer working?
These questions are not related to a diagnosis.
If your parent needs ongoing clinical observation, skilled nursing, medication, wound care or any other medical services, then non-medical home care is not the right level of support. A clinical professional should determine what level of clinical care is warranted.
Some individuals use non-medical home care and medical home health services, as they have distinct functions.
The most important thing here is apparent demarcation.
Home care provides support for daily activities and should not be confused with medical supervision.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Home Care in Duluth Apartments
What happens when my father lives alone in a Duluth apartment?
Care Pros meet the agreed Care Plan and carry out support for the routines covered by the plan. The plan should include how the Care Pro will navigate the parking,the building entry, the call box, elevator, and any deliveries and how the plan will ensure communication with the family.
Does home care have to start with multiple routines?
Not at all. The Care Plan can cover only a set of daily routines that the older adult may have a hard time doing on his own so the older adult can maintain his independence and dignity while the plan fills the gaps.
Prior to the first visit what should be discussed concerning the apartment?
Parking, gates, lobby, call boxes, keys or access control systems, elevator, building staff, Rapid response and what should happen in case the older adult does not answer the door. Clear instructions regarding access will make the visits much easier to carry out.
Can Care Pros deliver groceries to an apartment?
The type of home care service may allow for assistance with errands and routine tasks. With an apartment, you will need to consider where deliveries are made, how groceries get from the parking or lobby area to the unit, and if there are any building rules that may affect the process.
How will updates be communicated to me if I do not live with my parent?
Prior preferences and concerns of the older adult should be considered when developing the plan, and where possible, the older adult's preferences and privacy should be maintained when setting who is authorized to receive what types of information communication, and how.
Does non-medical home care provide monitoring between visits?
No. A Care Pro cannot replace nursing, medical care, or constant clinical assessment and intervention. If a senior citizen requires nursing or medical monitoring, you should discuss this with the appropriate health care professional and determine the level of care needed.
How can I tell if the current visit schedule is still adequate?
It is more important to consider the length of time between visits than to count the actual number of visits. If there are new needs, routines get skipped, and/or the older adult is unable to manage being alone longer, it may be time to review the Care Plan and consider increasing the level of support.
If you're looking for home care in Duluth GA to assist an older adult who lives in an apartment by themselves, start with the building and the day. Show the entry way, routine support needed, lonely hours, and how you would like updates reported.
About the Author
Matt Cohn has over 25 years of experience assisting older adults and their families think of solutions that allow them to remain safe and comfortable in their own homes. As the owner of the Home Instead offices in Lawrenceville and surrounding areas, he has experience in home care and is a valuable resource with all matters related to caregiving and the addition of care services in the home.
