Home Care Services for Seniors
Many older adults prefer to stay at home
for as long as possible, rather than moving into a long–term care facility as
they age. This may be the right choice for you if you only need minor
assistance with your daily activities and enjoy a close network of nearby
family and friends. These guidelines explore the range of home care services
available to help you maintain your independence within the comfort of your own
home.
Source : Helpguide
SERVICES TO HELP YOU STAY AT HOME
幫助你留在家裡的服務
當年老後，許多老年人喜歡留在家中盡可能長的時間，而不是移動到一個長期護理設施。如果你只需要較小的協助與你的日常活動和附近的家人和朋友享受一個緊密的網絡，這可能是您正確的選擇。這些準則探討家居照顧服務的範圍可以幫助你保持你的獨立你自己的家舒適的範圍內。
是否為我所愛的人或我的家庭護理？
It’s natural to want to stay at home as you
grow older—most seniors hope to be able to. However, taking a step back to look
at the big picture can help you decide whether staying at home for the long
term truly is the right step for you. Too often, decisions to leave home are
suddenly made after a sudden loss or emergency, making adjustments all the more
painful and difficult. Take a look at your options, your budget, and some of
the alternatives.
很自然的，大多數老年人希望能夠留在家裡。然而，退後一步看可幫助你決定長期留在家裡，真是正確的一步。太多的時候，決定離開家是因突然損失或緊急情況，作出調整是很痛苦和困難。檢視你的選擇，你的預算，以及一些替代品。
Deciding whether to stay at home
決定是否留在家裡
Your home situation is unique, and several
factors will weigh in on the best choice for you. Here are some of the issues
in evaluating your options:
Location and accessibility. Where is
your home located? Are you in a rural or suburban area that requires a lot of
driving? If you’re in an area with more public transit, is it safe and easily
accessible? How much time does it take you to get to services such as shopping
or medical appointments?
Home accessibility and maintenance. Is
your home easily modified? Does it have a lot of steps, stairs or a steep hill
to access? Do you have a large yard that needs to be maintained?
你的家庭情況是獨特的，有幾個因素會權衡對你最好的選擇。下面是一些在評估你的選擇的問題：
位置和交通方便。你的家在哪裡？你是住的農村或郊區需要大量的交通時間嗎？如果你是在一個有更多的公共交通地區，它是安全和方便嗎？你去購物或醫療預約服務需要多少時間？
居家可接近和維護。你的家很容易地修改嗎？它有很多的步驟，樓梯或陡峭的山坡通道使用？你有一個大院子需要維護嗎？
Support available. Do you have family
and friends nearby? How involved are they? Are they able to provide you the
support you need? Many older adults prefer to rely on family to provide help,
but as your needs increase, they might not be able to fill in all of the gaps.
It’s important to consider proximity to community services and activities as
well.
可得的支持。你的家人和朋友住在附近嗎？他們如何參與？他們能為您提供所需要的支持嗎？許多老年人依靠家庭提供幫助，但隨著您的需求增加，他們可能無法填補差距。重要的是盡量考慮鄰近的社區服務和活動。
Isolation.
隔離。
If it becomes difficult or impossible
for you to leave home without help, isolation can rapidly set in. You may not
be able to participate in hobbies you once loved, stay involved in community
service that kept you motivated, or visit with friends and family. Losing these
connections and support is a recipe for depression.
如果在沒有幫助的情況下離開家變得困難或不可能，隔離，可快速設置。您可能無法參曾經喜愛興趣嗜好，保持參與社區服務的動機，或拜訪朋友和家庭。失去這些連接和支持是罹患抑鬱症的秘訣。
Medical conditions.
醫療條件。
No one can predict the future. However, if
you or a loved one has a chronic medical condition that is expected to worsen
over time, it’s especially important to think about how you will handle health
and mobility problems. What are common complications of your condition, and how
will you handle them?
沒有人能預測未來。但是，如果你或你心愛的人有慢性醫療條件，預計隨著時間的推移而惡化，尤其重要的是，想想你將如何處理健康和移動性問題。什麼是你情況常見的並發症，你將如何處理他們？
Finances.
財務狀況。
Making a budget with anticipated expenses
can help you weigh the pros and cons of your situation. Alternate arrangements
like assisted living can be expensive, but extensive in-home help can rapidly
become expensive as well, especially at higher levels of care and live-in or
24-hour coverage.
What can help me stay at home?
有什麼可以幫我留在家裡嗎？
You may be used to handling everything for
yourself, dividing up duties with your spouse, or relying on family members for
help. But as circumstances change, it’s good to be aware of all the home care
services available that might be of help. What you may need depends on how much
support you have, your general health, and your financial situation.
您可以用來處理自己的一切，劃分了責任與你的配偶，或依靠家人的照顧。但隨著情況的變化，這是很好的知道所有的家居照顧服務提供可能的幫助。你可能需要取決於你有多大的支持，你的健康，你的財務狀況。
Household maintenance
家居扶持
Keeping a household running smoothly takes
a lot of work. If you’re finding it hard to keep up, you can look into laundry,
shopping, gardening, housekeeping, and handyman services. If you’re having
trouble staying on top of bills and appointments, financial and healthcare
management may also be helpful.
家居的平穩運行需要大量的工作維持。如果你發現它很難跟上，你可以看看洗衣，購物，園藝，家政服務，勤雜工等服務。如果你對維持帳務和約會的處理有難處，金融和醫療保健管理也可能會有所幫助。
Transportation
運輸
Transportation is a key issue for older
adults. Maybe you’re finding it hard to drive or don’t like to drive at night.
Investigating transportation options can help you keep your independence and
maintain your social network. You may want to look into local transportation
such as buses, reduced fare taxis, and senior transportation options to
appointments.
交通運輸是老年人的一個關鍵問題。也許你發現年長者很難獲不喜歡在晚上駕駛或開車。調查合適運輸方案，可以幫助你保持你的獨立性及社交網絡。您可能要考慮當地的交通如巴士，節費時段計程，年長運輸系統選項。
Home modifications
居家環境改繕
If your mobility is becoming limited, home
modifications can go a long way towards making home more comfortable. This can
include things such as grab bars in the shower, ramps to avoid or minimize the
use of stairs, or even installing new bathrooms on the ground floor.
如果你活動性受限，居家環境改繕可讓家居生活更舒適的一條長遠之計。包括的事項，如在淋浴間的扶手，坡道，以避免或盡量減少使用樓梯，甚至在一樓安裝新浴室。
Personal care
個人護理
Help with activities of daily living, such
as dressing, bathing, feeding, or meal preparation, is called personal care or
custodial care. You can hire help with personal care, ranging from a few hours
a day to live-in care. People who provide this level of care include personal
care aides, home care aides, and home health aides. Home health aides might
also provide limited assistance with things such as taking blood pressure or
offering medication reminders.
協助日常生活活動，如穿衣，洗澡，餵食，或準備餐點，被稱為個人照顧或監護。你可以請僱傭協助每天幾個小時生活護理。提供這種級別的護理，包括個人護理助手，家庭護理助手，家庭保健助手。家庭健康助手也可能提供有限醫療協助，如量血壓或提供用藥提醒。
Health care
健康保健
Some health care services can be provided
at home by trained professionals, such as occupational therapists, social
workers, or home health nurses. Check with your insurance or health service to
see what kind of coverage is available, although you may have to cover some
cost out of pocket. Information on Medicare coverage in the U.S.
有些保健服務可以由經過培訓的專業人士提供到府服務，如職業治療師，社會工作者，或家庭保健護士。檢查您的保險或健康服務，看看有什麼樣的範圍涵蓋，雖然你可能需要從口袋裡支付一些成本。在美國的醫療保險有涵蓋的信息可以在下面的參考資料部分。安寧療護，也可以在家中進行的。
Day programs
日間計劃
Day programs, also called senior daycare,
can help you keep busy with activities and socialization during the day, while
providing a break for caregivers. Some day programs are primarily social, while
others provide limited health services or specialize in disorders such as early
stage Alzheimer’s.
日間計劃，也稱為高級托老所，可以幫助你保持日間活動和社交的活絡性，同時可讓照顧者休息。有些日間托老主要是提供社交活動，而其他人則提供有限的醫療衛生服務，或專注於早期老年癡呆症的疾病，如阿茲海默症。
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