As our loved ones get old, they will more than likely be unable to take care of themselves. Usually, you or a family member would take them in. Unfortunately, not everyone has that luxury. Thankfully, Cook County has senior care services that can take care of them as well as family can, sometimes even better. A good recent example would be how a senior caregiver saved the lives of his charges, as told in an article by the NBC Bay Area’s staff:
“Firefighters are crediting a home health care worker with saving the lives of an elderly couple from a two-alarm house fire in the South Bay.
The fire broke out just before 5 p.m. Saturday at a home on Braxton Avenue in south San Jose.
It was Conrad Gozon’s first day caring for a 92-year-old man and his wife.
Gozon said he smelled smoke, and then saw the fire.”
You can be assured that excellent Cook County senior services like the Comfort Keepers of Chicagoland Area, IL would employ health care workers with the same dedication. The main problem is to select the right home care service for your family member. Here’s a look at three things that should guide your selection:
First, it should be properly licensed; after all, having a license means they have passed the state’s requirements to provide the service. Illinois requires a Home Services License for Home Care providers to operate. If they have one, it would be a simple matter to check on the service you are thinking of hiring; for this, you can contact the Illinois Department of Health. Such senior care services are not only monitored by the state; the state can also evaluate a senior’s home care needs, change the services depending on the situation, and send a replacement if the service provider is overbooked.
Second, the Home Care Agency should conduct its due diligence when hiring its caregivers. In other words, potential caregivers should be interviewed at least twice by the agency, screening for both overall experience and for the essential soft-skills required to care for the Agency’s elderly clients. This ensures that whomever they send to care for your loved ones will be compassionate and experienced home care professionals.
Third, you should ask them about their emergency procedures and operating hours. Depending on the infirmity of your family member, you can ask for overnight care or just day care; some conditions require 24/7 monitoring so be sure to check if they offer that. Additionally, knowing what they will do in the event of accidents and emergencies will put your mind at ease.
(Source: Home Care Worker Saves Elderly Couple From 2-Alarm San Jose House Fire, NBC Bay Area, July 6, 2014)
Comfort Keepers of Chicagoland Area, IL 