If you have a loved one or family member who is aging and seems to struggle with independent living, you may be considering some in-home supportive care. It's a significant decision for your family, so you should take it seriously. In fact, there are several things that you need to think about when you're making the decision and choosing a care provider to help. Here are a couple of those things that you should consider along the way.

How Serious Is the Need?

The first thing you need to think about is how serious your loved one's need might be. This will help you determine how urgently you need to secure someone to help. For example, if your loved one manages fine most of the time, but they have a need for support periodically when they are having a difficult day, you may not have as urgent a need as if your loved one is struggling heavily with daily tasks and self-care.

Who Will Be Responsible for Making Care Decisions?

Another significant decision you'll need to make before you hire an in-home elderly care service is to determine who will be responsible for making the care decisions for your loved one. Remember that as your family member gets older, he or she may not be able to make all of those care decisions themselves, so you'll need someone clearly appointed to handle this and be the go-to contact.

What Care Does Your Loved One Need?

Before you can retain any in-home care service, you also have to know what kind of care your loved one is going to need. You can't retain a service until you can clearly define the services that are needed. Those services will drive the type of service you retain as well as the cost of that service. 

For example, your family member may need help with personal care if they are letting grooming and care needs slip. They may need assistance with remembering to take medications, dealing with other medical care issues, cooking, house cleaning, and other needs. Make a list of all of the support that's going to be necessary so that you can ensure an accurate and comprehensive list provided to the providers when you're comparison shopping.

The better prepared you are, the easier the process is for selecting the right in-home care service for your elderly loved one. Consider the points here and contact some local care providers such as Polish Helping Hands for more information.