n7k_0302-550?v=1

Aging at Home

Zeenat and Jeanne of Synergy HomeCare discuss the benefits of homecare and what to look for in an agency.

Zeenat Mannan and Jeanne Atkinson of Synergy HomeCare said one key factor in the decision to age at home is the availability of good home care services, which allow the elderly to combine the safety and security of senior living facilities with the comfort and familiarity of their homes.

“Home care stimulates healing and quality companionship, and utilizing home care services produces a significantly lower chance of re-hospitalization during recovery,” they explained. “Another huge benefit is healthy food choices and home cooked meals: an in-home caregiver can prepare wholesome and nutritious meals, following your favorite recipe. Caregivers can also become your own personal assistance and chauffeur—they can drive you to appointments, errands and entertainment events.”

Whether you’re looking for a caregiver who can travel with you on extended vacation or simply stay with you while your family members run errands, it’s important to find the best agency possible. Mannan and Atkinson agreed there are five markers of an excellent home care agency:

  • Get your home—and yourself—ready first: Caretakers should think about your sleeping, bathing, toileting and resting arrangement at home and make the home safe first and then secure.

  • Have experience, training and good quality control: Every senior has unique needs and, sometimes, serious medical conditions, so you need to ensure the caregiver has the experience, training and right personality. The agency itself should also have a robust quality control and review process.

  • Offer backup for call-offs and emergencies: Car breakdowns, snowy road conditions, childcare issues and so many other things can disrupt home visits. Help from family and friends are good options in those contingencies, but you need to make sure the home care agency has adequate back-up staffing.

  • Have been background-checked, insured and bonded: Hiring a professional home care agency ensures that the caregivers are insured, bonded and criminal background checked.

  • Prioritize—especially now—infection control protocols, PPE and hygiene: Taking heightened infection control measures and effectively communicating should be a home care agency's top priority right now. You should also ask how the agency is monitoring Covid exposure, contact tracing, PPE, personal hygiene and other CDC guidelines. 

SYNERGY HomeCare provides tailored home care services in West Bloomfield and the greater metro Detroit area that attend to each senior’s unique needs, making it possible for enhanced safety and well-being, right in the comfort of home. For more information, call (248)-919-1244 or visit synergyhomecare.com. Home assessment is free!

  • n7k_0302-300?v=2
  • 566473165-300?v=2

Related Businesses

The Scobis Company

Doors + Windows

The Scobis Company

Chesterfield, MO

The Scobis Company is the custom wood door specialist in St. Louis, MO. The quality in our craftsmanship combined with the...

Gladstone Furnace & AC Co

Contractors

Gladstone Furnace & AC Co

Gladstone, MO

In a world where most things are temporary and throwaway, a successful business founded in 1948 is a rarity. That’s why...

See More

Related Articles

See More