Domestic Assistance is often associated with helping seniors and people with disabilities with daily tasks. That of course is the core goal of having a residential support worker. However, it goes beyond that.
Domestic assistance encompasses both physical and emotional tasks that are targeted at helping people with disabilities and seniors enjoy personalised care while living independently. It is the totality of support aimed at making life easier for the care receiver.
How Domestic Assistance Improves Quality of Life
Having a domestic assistant should positively impact your life in many ways. Here are some ways a senior or disabled person can live better with the services of a domestic assistant.
Promotes Independence
Many people don’t like the idea of living in a retirement home. It is one of their major fears as they get older. Having strangers take care of them and abandoning the place they called home. It doesn’t just sit right with them.
In fact, it is estimated that a surprising 82% of seniors want to stay in their current home for as long as they can. For example, I once had a conversation with a senior who told me he gave his children two options. Either care for him at home which would require hiring a domestic assistant as they were all busy or leave him alone. He would never go to any retirement home. People like that have already made up their minds and there’s no changing it.
So when you bring up the offer of domestic assistance, they lighten up immediately. Being able to remain in their home and yet be taken very good care of is a dream come true. It has been observed that it improves their overall mental and physical health.
This is the same for people living with disabilities. Instead of having to live in group homes, they would be so delighted to stay in their home and receive adequate care. It boosts their confidence and helps them maintain dignity.
Undertaking Household Tasks
The main work of domestic assistants is performing household chores. The assistant performs the following duties:
- Taking care of the House
- Cooking
- Personal Care like bathing, dressing, and grooming assistance.
- Mobility Support
All these daily tasks cannot be efficiently done by an elderly or disabled person. But with a domestic assistant, these chores are carried out with professionalism and care. The care receiver eats healthy food and has a clean and tidy home without the physical or emotional exhaustion of doing it themselves.
Domestic assistants not only perform these tasks efficiently but with a personalised touch. The care recipient is provided with the required care based on their specific needs and wants. This personalised care makes sure that home work no longer turns into overwhelming chores, but rather regular activities.
Another important benefit of domestic assistance is that it upholds the dignity and trust of the care receiver. Instead of having different people care for them, one dedicated and trusted assistant becomes a part of the senior’s life.
Promotes Health, and Overall Well Being
The domestic assistant should know the care receiver’s medical requirements. The kind of drug they need to take, the dosage and at what time they should take it. This is important when providing care for the elderly with health problems.
Generally, the house should be kept clean and free from germs at all times. Personal hygiene should be promoted as well. Also, care should be taken to ensure they don’t fall or sustain any injuries while moving around the house.
Provides Recreational Activities
Everyone wants someone friendly around them. For the old or a person with disability, it is even more important. They are often lonely and secluded but with a dedicated domestic helper, they will feel alive and loved through leisure activities like playing board games and other indoor games.
You can also add outdoor activities like taking a walk or walking the dog together. In this manner, they keep themselves healthy as well as enjoy the freshness of nature around them. This is something that most elderly or disabled people want so much.
Through Social Activities
A domestic assistant helps the care receiver attend social functions and join support groups. This helps remind the care receiver that they are still part of the society and frees them from the fear of rejection or being dispensable.
Benefits of Domestic Assistance Beyond Physical Tasks
While domestic assistance is commonly associated with physical care such as cleaning, cooking, and mobility support, its relevance extends much beyond such daily chores. Here are other responsibilities of domestic assistants that don’t have to be physical.
Emotional Companionship
Domestic assistants develop regular conversation and emotional bonding techniques. This helps the care receivers to worry less and feel loved at all times as loneliness and isolation is usually associated with seniors and disabled persons.
Promoting Mental Well-being
Decline in cognitive reasoning is one of the major health challenges associated with old age. For seniors who suffer from mental impairments, domestic assistants come in to help them go through their daily lives without feeling lost. Through discussions and a well structured routine, the care receiver can know which day it is, what is expected for the day and their part in making it a success.
Better Living
Domestic assistance takes care of care receivers’ physical and emotional needs. That is what a good life looks like for seniors for disabled persons with no one to care for them.
Building Trust and Stability
With one dedicated domestic assistant coming in everyday or living with a care receiver, there is more trust and stability. Trust is an indispensable quality when choosing a domestic assistant. This is especially important for individuals who have experienced several changes in care.
Supporting Family Relationships
Domestic Assistance helps families to spend more time with their senior or disabled loved ones. Instead of spending time caring for their needs, family members can have more time to discuss and share quality time together. Domestic assistance also rules out the possibility of issues arising as a result of selecting who would forfeit their job or family to take care of loved ones.
Ways to Improve Domestic Assistance Services
The domestic assistance you are receiving today can get better. Here are a few tips to improve the quality of care provided by the assistant and the care receiver.
For the Domestic Assistant
- Undergo Proper Training – Anyone can be a domestic assistant. But not everyone can be a professional domestic assistant. That’s why it would be great to obtain proper training in the field of home care. Training on first aid, the use of medical aid and communication skills are important.
- Establish Clear Communication – The best domestic assistant is one who can communicate effectively. You have to be able to effectively communicate with the care receiver and the family. It involves listening carefully, asking questions where necessary, and reporting progress or problems. It will enable you to provide more personalised care, which is the best home care practice.
- Maintain Professional Boundaries – While the job requires some level of familiarity with the care receiver, you need to know how to respect boundaries. Don’t go looking into places you shouldn’t be. Take permission to access some rooms or things and ensure to put back things the way you found them.
- Practice Empathy and Patience – Take note of the emotional and physical challenges the care receiver may face. Empathy and patience lead to a healthier and more cooperative relationship. The care receiver will have no problem cooperating with you if they know that you are able to relate to their pain and take time to listen to them without criticism.
- Take Care of Yourself – Taking care of others means you have taken care of yourself first. Avoid anything that would stress you beyond the work related stress. Take a break when you must and go for routine medical checks.
- Be Consistent and Organised – Use routines and checklists to manage tasks efficiently. Being consistent helps the care receiver feel secure and reduces confusion or missed responsibilities.
For the Care Receiver
- Be Open and Honest About Needs – Domestic assistance is all about personalised care. This is such that your most pressing needs are met before anything else. To achieve this, you need to be open about your needs. This will help the caregiver to serve you better.
- Show Appreciation and Respect – Appreciation is said to be a call for more. By expressing appreciation for the work of the assistant, you are paving the way for better care. Show gratitude and maintain respectful communication always. Mutual respect boosts morale and improves the working relationship.
- Be a Participant – Engage actively in your own care where possible. Even small tasks can help maintain your sense of independence and self-worth. This also makes the job easier for the assistant and if the job is easier, the care would be better.
- Provide Feedback Constructively – No need to be mean or to use bad language on the assistant if they get something wrong. If something is not being done properly or your needs are changing, give your feedback in a friendly and clear manner. Open communication improves care without causing conflict.
- Foster a Positive Environment – The safety and comfort of the assistant is important. Although they are responsible for taking care of the house, you should do your part by creating a calm and friendly atmosphere. Make the home space welcoming for both yourself and the assistant.
- Stay Engaged Socially and Mentally – Ask the assistant to help facilitate activities you enjoy. It could be reading, walks, games, or social visits. This supports mental health and strengthens the bond between you.
Challenges of Domestic Assistance
As much as the benefits of domestic assistance are priceless, both caregivers and receivers face several challenges. These challenges could undermine the effectiveness of care provided. We will address some of these challenges.
Physical and Emotional Stress
Taking care of old or disabled persons is never an easy job. It involves much physical and mental stress. The domestic assistant, at times, will feel guilt, frustration or embarrassment. This somehow affects the quality of care given since the caregiver needs to be healthy physically and mentally to perform their duties efficiently.
Financial Challenges
Domestic assistance is not free. It can be financially burdening for people who have no support from family. With less pay, the assistant may not be comfortable doing the job. In some cases, the assistant may reduce their working hours or even leave the job entirely. This situation will leave the care receiver with no one to attend to their needs.
Lack of Training and Support
Not everyone has the ability to be caregivers. It is a role that requires some form of training and professionalism that not many people are able to undergo. Without proper training, a domestic assistant could cause harm to the care receiver rather than the intended benefits.
For example, an inexperienced domestic assistant may not know the nutritional requirements of an elderly person who has diabetes and will therefore serve them meals with high amounts of glucose in them. This will endanger the life of the elderly person and could even lead to death if not addressed on time.
Cultural and Social Stigmas
Home care in some societies is not pleasing. It is thought of as an act of negligence or abandonment by the family of the elderly or disabled individual. Social stigma is thereby created and discourages individuals from receiving professional help, even if it means for the well-being of their loved one.
In addition, in some societies, there is a preconceived notion that exists against caregivers. They are usually viewed as second-best or inferior with lower social status, and this undermines the significance of their work. This stigma discourages caregivers and deters them from doing their job.
Conclusion
It is okay to seek help. Hiring domestic help does not make you weak or incapable. It is just a way to make life easy for you and your loved ones. Domestic help allows you to live comfortably at home with all your needs being taken care of. You can now worry less about your loved ones not receiving adequate care in the retirement home and the struggle of booking an appointment to see them. Hire a domestic assistant today and enjoy the many benefits it comes with.
