4 Signs Your Senior Loved One Needs Care At Night

When most people think about home care for seniors they think about having an elder care provider visit their senior loved one during the day. But 24-hour home care can be a good option to help seniors who have medical issues that make them more vulnerable at night. Seniors who struggle with insomnia or have to use a C-PAP machine or other medical equipment at night may feel less scared and sleep better with a home care provider who stays with them overnight. If you notice that your senior loved one is displaying any of these signs you should talk with them about having 24-hour home care including care at night:

Insomnia

 24 Hour Home Care in Des Plaines, IL: Night Time Care

Seniors develop insomnia for many different reasons. Some medications can disrupt the natural pattern of sleep which can make seniors not sleepy at night. Other seniors may have depression or other conditions that can have insomnia as a symptom. But whatever the reason seniors with insomnia can get trapped in a cycle of loneliness and anxiety at night that can cause physical and mental health problems. Having a home care provider there with them at night can ease their anxiety and help them relax. Sometimes a hot bath or shower and activities like reading or listening to music can help seniors sleep. An elder care provider can help your senior loved one by making them some tea or hot chocolate and helping them with a hot bath or shower.

Nightmares

Just like insomnia having chronic nightmares can be a side effect of some medications. Seniors who suffer from nightmares may start to dread the night time knowing they will be alone. Home care providers who are with your senior loved ones at night can help them relax at night and feel less alone. They might still have nightmares but when someone is there to talk to them, have a cup of tea with them, and help them get back to bed safely their nights will be less scary.

Trouble Using Medical Equipment

If your senior loved one uses a C-PAP machine, portable oxygen, or any other medical equipment they need to have 24-hour home care in case those machines stop working or your senior loved one has trouble getting them to work. A home care provider will be there to call for help if your senior loved one needs medical attention because of a machine malfunction and will also be there to make sure that the equipment is in good working order.

Forgetting Medication

Medications are only effective if they are taken as directed. If you have a senior parent that insists they don’t need help but you notice that the medication they are supposed to take at night isn’t getting taken you may need to have a care provider there overnight. 24-home care providers can manage your senior’s medication and make sure that they take their medication when they are supposed to take it. They can also let you know if medication needs to be refilled or if your senior loved one seems to be having a bad reaction to a certain medication.

If you or an aging loved one are considering 24 Hour Home Care in Des Plaines, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

Jamie Shapiro