As we get older it can become a struggle to complete daily tasks around the house.
But the good news is that there are lots of different types of help for the elderly at home.
In this article we explore the different options available, ranging from home care to domestic support and gardening.
Helping you to find the most suitable help for the elderly at home, for your loved one.
In this article we cover the following:
- There is a variety of help at home available for older people ranging from home care and companion care to gardening and mobile hairdressers.
- Limited funding is available from your local authority, depending on your circumstances, but you’ll need to pay for some services privately.
- Help can be tailored to suit individual needs and more services will be available in the future as people wish to maintain independence.lo
Help available for the elderly living at home
Just because someone grows older it does not mean that they need to give up their independence and stop living at home.
There are a variety of different types of help and support available for elderly loved ones who want to continue living in their own houses.
What sort of help at home is available?
The most well known support service for older people is care at home, where a carer will come to your home and provide personal care.
There are carers who sleep over night and there are also companion care options available.
If you aren’t able to leave home to get out and about, or prefer not to, then there are a growing number of domestic and lifestyle services on offer.
For example, mobile hairdressers make long visits to the salon a thing of the past.
And if you’re looking to maintain wellbeing, then personal instructors can organise chair yoga for seniors or offer help with morning stretches.
Whatever your support needs there is a service available to provide help at home.
Different types of help at home for older people
Let’s take a look at some of the services an elderly person living at home might choose to employ.
Home care
Home care, also known as domiciliary care is available nationwide and bookable on an hourly basis.
Carers can assist with a variety of different care and daily tasks, ranging from personal care, or more specialist care such as dementia care and arthritis care.
Carers can be a real lifeline to many people, and you can employ them for as short or long of a time as you need them.
For example, if you need some help to get up, get washed and dressed, you can book a carer visit for half an hour every morning.
Sweet Pea can help you find trusted home care in your local area. Search for care now.
Confused about care funding?
Full time home care
Full time home care, also known as live in care, is suitable for individuals who need support throughout the day, and sometimes at night, to continue living independently.
For example, individuals living with dementia might need full time care as their condition progresses.
They may try to wander from their home if left on their own, or become distressed at being alone.
They may also have very disturbed sleep, or something called dementia sundowning may occur, when they become very agitated as it gets dark.
GP care for older people
Most GP’s will be able to see housebound patients in their own homes at certain times of the day.
Often a GP will make a telephone call first to understand the needs of the patient and can then organise a home visit.
Private online GP services are also available, with consultations taking place via video call. Prescriptions can also be provided online.
Nursing care
Just like GP care, if you need to see a nurse for things like a regular blood draw, or blood pressure readings, a nurse may be able to visit you in your own home.
Some home care services provide nursing care and private nursing services are also available.
Cleaning services of older people
One of the most common at home services available is a cleaning service.
As we get older and mobility may become more limited, employing a cleaner is an excellent way to relieve some of the burden of housework.
Domestic help at home
In addition to regular cleaning there are other areas of housework and daily tasks that older people can get assistance with, such as laundry and ironing.
Domestic help is available from private companies to help do the following:
- Help with the laundry
- Light housework
- Changing bed linen
- Collecting shopping or small orders of food
- Preparing light meals or snacks
- Running errands, e.g. prescription collection
Home maintenance
Home maintenance might not typically be an area that you would think of under elderly help at home. But if left unattended, small maintenance jobs can pile up and lead to bigger issues.
Handy men/women, home maintenance companies, carpenters and the like, are available to help with small jobs around the home.
Grocery delivery
Most supermarkets now offer a grocery delivery service. You simply place your order online or via mobile phone app, and they will deliver your groceries to your home.
You can also order home cleaning products, pet products and toiletries from most supermarkets, making it a real one stop shop.
Hot meal delivery
If you’re unable to prepare regular hot meals then there are many hot meal delivery services for elderly available as well.
Professional gardening services
Gardeners are of course not exclusively for older people, but they are very helpful in helping individuals with limited mobility manage their gardens so that they can continue to enjoy them in later life.
Hiring a gardener is more flexible than you might think – they can do one-off jobs or have a more regular booking.
Plus, some charities provide gardening services for free or at a reduced rate for the elderly.
Worried about your loved one?
Mobile Hairdressers
Some people love to visit the hairdressers or barbers. For others it can be a difficult trip to get there and back. Fortunately, mobile hairdressers and barbers can come to your home at a time that suits you best.
This means there is no difficult journey to be undertaken, or if you need the help of a carer to travel, no carers wage to be paid. You are also in the comfort of your own home, so getting a drink or using the lavatory is no problem.
Podiatrist/Chiropodist
As we get older our feet and lower legs need a lot more looking after. Bunions, ingrown toenails, corns, and other painful problems can arise.
It may also be difficult for older people to cut their toenails if they have mobility issues, so any podiatrists offer a home visit service.
Can I get elderly help at home from the council?
Local authority funding for care in your own home is available if you meet certain financial and health-based criteria.
You will need to have a care and finance review from the council. This will then decide how much care you need, and who is going to pay for it.
Your council may offer to make some adaptations to your home for free, if your mobility is reduced. You could be eligible for this even if you don’t qualify for free carers visits.
The local authority will usually pay up to £1000 for these adaptations. That may include installing bath rails, a rail by your front door, or a bed that lifts up and down.
Support for medical needs
If you have significant medical needs then you may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare and you will receive a personal care plan. Find out more about what is a care plan?
If you find yourself in a position where you are paying for home care then costs vary across providers but generally start from around £15 per hour.
Benefits of help at home
The greatest benefit of help for the elderly at home is that it can be tailored to suit individual needs.
Most companies provide flexible or bespoke offerings that you can book and adjust according to you or your loved one’s personal preferences.
You’re in control and can manage the levels of support as you wish.
Plus with an ever growing elderly population who need innovative solutions to help them age well and comfortably, there will be many more services available in the future to serve that need.
Find care today
If you’re in need of home care or domestic support and don’t know where to find it then let Sweet Pea take care of the hard work for you.
Just enter you or your loved one’s care needs into our bespoke matching service and we’ll create a personalised shortlist for you.
We’ll connect you with trusted carers available in your area so you can find the right support to help you live well at home for longer.