How Many Hours of Home Care Does My Parent Need in San Diego?

One of the first questions families ask when considering in-home care is: How many hours of care does my parent actually need?

There is no single number that is right for every older adult. Some people may only need help with a few specific tasks each week, while others need assistance every day or supervision throughout much of the day and night.

The best place to start is not with a number of hours. Start by looking at your parent’s daily routine, personal care needs, mobility, safety, memory, living situation and the amount of reliable help already available from family or friends.

At Home Helpers Home Care of Mission Valley, we help San Diego families evaluate when assistance is needed and build a care schedule around the person’s actual routine rather than automatically assuming everyone needs the same amount of care.

Start With a Typical Day

Think about your parent’s day from the time they wake up until they go to bed.

Ask yourself:

• Can they get out of bed safely?
• Can they shower, dress and groom independently?
• Can they prepare meals and remember to eat?
• Are they able to walk safely around the home?
• Do they need help getting to the bathroom?
• Can they keep up with laundry and light housekeeping?
• Do they remember medications and appointments?
• Can they safely leave the house for errands or appointments?
• Are they lonely or spending most of the day alone?
• Does someone need to check on them in the evening?
• Are there memory or dementia-related safety concerns?

These questions often make it easier to see where gaps in care exist.

A Few Hours of Home Care Per Week

An older adult who is still largely independent may only need assistance with certain activities.

A caregiver might visit a few times each week to help with:

• Companionship
• Meal preparation
• Light housekeeping
• Laundry
• Grocery shopping and errands
• Transportation to appointments
• Personal care
• Bathing assistance
• Walking or mobility support

For some families, a smaller amount of scheduled care can also provide reassurance that someone is regularly checking in on a parent who lives alone.

The important question is whether the scheduled visits cover the times when help is actually needed.

When Daily Home Care May Make More Sense

Care needs often become more noticeable when an older adult begins needing assistance every day.

For example, someone may need help each morning with bathing, dressing, grooming and breakfast. Another person may manage mornings independently but need assistance later with dinner, housekeeping or an evening routine.

Daily care may also become helpful when a parent:

• Has increasing difficulty with personal care
• Has experienced falls or worsening mobility
• Needs regular meal preparation
• Is frequently alone
• Is becoming forgetful
• Needs consistent supervision or reminders
• Has recently returned home from a hospital or rehabilitation facility
• Depends heavily on a spouse or adult child for everyday assistance

Instead of asking only, “How many hours should we buy?” families should identify the parts of the day when their parent cannot safely or comfortably manage without assistance.

Consider the Help Family Members Are Already Providing

Professional home care does not always have to replace family caregiving.

It can fill the gaps.

For example, an adult child may be available in the evenings but unable to help during the workday. A spouse may be able to provide companionship but have difficulty safely assisting with bathing or mobility. Several family members may be helping but becoming exhausted trying to coordinate everything themselves.

Write down who is realistically available and when.

Then look for the uncovered periods.

Those gaps can help determine when professional caregivers would provide the most benefit.

Dementia Can Change the Amount of Care Needed

For a parent with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, the amount of help needed may not be determined by physical ability alone.

Someone with dementia may still be able to walk, dress or prepare food physically but may have difficulty remembering how or when to complete those activities safely.

Families should pay particular attention to issues such as:

• Wandering or leaving the home unexpectedly
• Forgetting meals
• Confusion about medications
• Leaving appliances on
• Changes in judgment
• Difficulty recognizing unsafe situations
• Increased confusion in the evening
• Repeated calls or questions
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Difficulty being left alone

As dementia progresses, families may need to increase caregiver coverage even when the person remains physically active.

After a Hospital or Rehabilitation Discharge

A parent’s care needs can change quickly following a hospitalization, illness, injury or rehabilitation stay.

Someone who previously managed independently may temporarily need assistance with:

• Walking and transfers
• Bathing and dressing
• Meal preparation
• Transportation
• Household tasks
• Following a new daily routine
• Getting safely settled back into the home

Families should not assume that the number of care hours needed immediately after discharge will necessarily remain the same forever.

Care can be adjusted as the person recovers or if additional needs develop.

When Longer Shifts May Be Appropriate

Longer caregiver shifts may make sense when someone needs assistance with several activities throughout the day rather than one isolated task.

For example, a longer daytime shift may allow a caregiver to assist with personal care, meals, mobility, companionship and light household tasks without rushing from one activity to another.

Longer coverage may also help when the family caregiver needs predictable periods away from the home for work, errands, appointments or rest.

When Families Begin Considering 24-Hour Care

Some families eventually reach a point where there are significant periods when their loved one may not be safe alone.

This may occur with advanced dementia, severe mobility limitations, frequent nighttime needs or situations in which supervision is required throughout the day.

Before arranging continuous care, families should look carefully at what is happening during each part of the day and night and discuss changing medical or safety concerns with the appropriate healthcare professionals.

The goal is to match the level of support to the person’s actual needs.

Watch for Changes Over Time

The right home care schedule today may not be the right schedule six months from now.

Families should reconsider the care plan after events such as:

• A fall
• Hospitalization
• Rehabilitation stay
• New mobility problems
• Changes in memory or behavior
• Increasing difficulty with bathing or toileting
• Changes in eating habits
• Loss of a family caregiver
• Increasing caregiver exhaustion
• A noticeable decline in the person’s ability to live independently

Care schedules can increase or decrease as circumstances change.

A Simple Way to Estimate the Care Your Parent Needs

Before speaking with a home care agency, try keeping notes for several days.

Write down:

1. What your parent needs help doing.
2. What time of day the help is needed.
3. How long the task or routine usually takes.
4. Whether someone must remain nearby for safety.
5. Which family members are reliably available.
6. Which periods of the day have no dependable support.

This often gives families a much clearer picture of how professional home care could fit into the existing routine.

Home Care Does Not Have to Be All or Nothing

Families sometimes delay getting help because they assume hiring a caregiver means immediately arranging full-time care.

That does not have to be the case.

Some families begin with targeted assistance and adjust the schedule as they learn what works best. Others need more substantial support immediately because of dementia, mobility problems, a hospital discharge or family caregiver burnout.

The right schedule is the one that addresses the person’s needs while fitting realistically into the family’s overall care plan.

Need Help Determining a Home Care Schedule in San Diego?

Home Helpers Home Care of Mission Valley provides non-medical in-home care for older adults and other individuals who need assistance remaining safely and comfortably at home.

Our caregivers can assist with services such as personal care, bathing, dressing, meal preparation, companionship, light housekeeping, mobility assistance, transportation and respite for family caregivers.

If you are unsure whether your parent needs a few visits each week, daily assistance or more extensive care, we can discuss their routine and help you identify where caregiver support may fit.

Call Home Helpers Home Care of Mission Valley at 619-292-8001 to discuss your family’s home care needs.

Serving Mission Valley and communities throughout the San Diego area.