Living Life Independently from Home

The old saying, “there’s no place like home,” holds true for many, making the idea of uprooting to an aged care facility or moving in with family a daunting prospect for elderly individuals. Fortunately, maintaining autonomy at home is a viable option, particularly when approached with preparation and the right support.

Research has shown that nearly 70% of Australians prefer to age at home as opposed to living in residential care1. Aging independently while enjoying a full life on your own terms is entirely achievable, particularly with the assistance of in-domestic care services that prioritise preserving independence with dignity and respect. However, navigating the evolving landscape of our abilities as we age presents its own set of challenges. At Home Support Services, we offer an innovative approach by assessing your needs, guiding the next steps, and implementing any necessary changes to ensure that maintaining autonomy at home remains a feasible option for you.

Accessing Your Needs

Identifying the level of care you require is essential, including overall health and potential mobility issues. It is important to be specific, as it allows for a tailored ageing in place care plan designed to meet your specific needs.

What Kind of Care Do You Need?

Living independently at home does not mean being on your own entirely. There are so many wonderful support options available to you, so take advantage of them. As the saying goes, “…a little bit of help goes a long way”, so when it comes to ageing in place, in-domestic care helps us to live independently in the comfort of our own homes. It is normal to feel a little reluctant and unsure, which is why at Home Support Services, we are here to help make life easier! When it comes to our care packages, there is no “one size fits all” approach. We believe that all care needs are as unique as each person and can change over time.

Based on your individual needs, choosing the right in-home assistive care service is important. At Home Support Services we offer flexible care to fit your family’s needs:

• Hourly Home Care – allows for hiring our Carers on an hourly, or as-needed basis. By helping with daily activities, our Carers enable individuals to maintain their normal daily routines.
• 24-Hour Home Care – provides older adults with full-time, around-the-clock care, without the Carer living in the home. Those living with dementia or who are homebound due to physical limitations, benefit greatly from 24-hour care while giving families peace of mind. 
• Live-in Home Care – Live-in Carers are assigned to live with an older adult for some time and provide care directly in their own home. Live-in Care can help with ensuring safety and consistent companionship.
• Hospital-to-Home Care – One-on-one hospital-to-domestic care is crucial for a safe and successful recovery when transitioning home, after hospitalisation, or moving through the care continuum via a rehabilitation or medical care facility.
• In-home Specialised Care – can provide one-on-one care appropriate for individuals requiring various levels of special care including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other conditions.

Our Carers are highly experienced, thoroughly trained and personally committed to the individuals and families they serve. At Home Support Services, we offer a robust roster of Carers who have diverse experience, skills, personalities and credentials. We are able to expertly match the right Carer to each person’s unique needs and preferences. Carers are employees of Home Support Services. We manage our Carer’s employment insurance, taxes and workers’ compensation so you don’t have to.

Make Necessary Safety Modifications to the Home Environment

Making small changes to the environment in which we live, can be modified in so many ways to enable and encourage our independence. Safety is of paramount importance when it comes to independent living while ageing in place, with minimal risk to safety. At Home Support Services, our experienced carers can assist in identifying potential risks and explore alternatives for example, removing hazardous items from the home, as well as moving unnecessary cords, rugs and furniture, to create clear pathways and avoid dangerous falls.

Other must-dos include:

• Adding traction slips or non-skid tape on bathroom floors, bathtubs and shower stalls.
• Install extra lighting to increase visibility.
• Install grab bars in the bathroom, hallway, and next to your bed.

In addition to this, it’s also important to learn and associate yourself with technology. Aging is not an excuse to stop learning. Over the years, one of the great advances in independent living has also come from technology. The world we live in today has a technological solution for most things and taking advantage of modern technology can really support ageing in place independently. Voice-activated devices are also a very beneficial for elderly individuals with mobility issues, while the ability to switch to larger fonts on tablets and smartphones will make reading easier for the deteriorating eyes. Staying active and social, as well as maintaining a healthy, balanced diet will ensure a nourished mind and body, and help keep disease at bay.

Medical alert items are also essential items to consider having in the home as we age in place, not only for an increased level of independence, but also for peace of mind at the push of a button. To this point, is also reviewing all medications – ensuring that there is no overlap and risk of adverse reactions, as well as making sure that no medication is out of date.

That said, a meaningful life as we are ageing in place can be attained though engagement with the things we love. Simple changes, especially with the support of an in-domestic care agency like Home Support Services, can bring enormous benefit and comfort to your quality of life while maintaining autonomy at home. Home Support Services has viable solutions when it comes to supporting independent living. For more information, get in touch with a  today.