The family is one of the most important providers for the elderly. In fact, the majority of caregivers for the elderly are often members of their own family, most often a daughter or a granddaughter. Home health care is commonly referred to as domiciliary care.

Home health care or supportive care can be provided in the home by healthcare professionals or by family and friends or provided by licensed personnel. It is often used as a means to prevent hospitalization for frail, elderly outpatients or to shorten a hospital stay.

The golden years can bring about uncertainty about daily activities that were once taken for granted. Taking care of elderly at home where they can still be a part of family daily activities can be of many advantages.

Advantages:

• Home care prevents the elderly patient from going away to commercial institution such as a group home or nursing facility.
• Having elderly family members cared for at home makes them feel comfortable in their own surroundings and provides a sense of familiarity as new people come into the home to assist.
• Home caregivers for elders assist with light housekeeping that the patients may no longer be able to do properly, such as dusting, mopping floors and laundry care. Help them improve their quality of life and to maintain their independence for as long as possible.
• Home caregivers can provide simple respite care such as staying with a patient while the family members are out.
• Assured that elderly family member has three meals a day by preparing, serving and cleaning up and making sure elderly take their medicines.
• Home caregivers provide bathe and groom and dress our elderly. This instills self-confidence.

Start your day together then with your elderly family member on breakfast. Get him/her up and either starting with personal care or breakfast. Take into thought how he/she may have recently began his/her day and try that way be consistence and a routine. Take it slow and guide them.

Do not rush or they will not work with you. Give them some of your time, feel and put their needs first or they will sense your needs come before them. Sitting at the breakfast table or standing creating conversation about things other then what they need to do activities.