There is a growing demand for healthcare workers, especially Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) who assist in multiple healthcare jobs. They support patients with their daily living and offer basic care. A huge number of CNAs work in the home care sector to provide support and care to elders.
In June 2021, UT News reported that the Texas Legislature was postponed without giving much attention to the largest demographic shift facing the state. According to records, seniors 65 years and older in Texas are anticipated to diversify. They are expected to increase from 3.9 million in 2020 to nearly 8.3 million by 2050.
The latest evidence highlights that longer lives are followed by compromised health and a decline in cognitive and physical capacities. As a result, states like Texas need to reassess their capacity to focus on the care that the aging population in cities like San Antonio needs. It is here that the CNAs provided by the home care agencies are of immense help to elders and their well-being.
They usually offer a wide range of services, from enabling the patient to eat, get dressed, or even bathe. If you have an elderly member at home in Burlington or San Antonio and need support, you can count on a CNA provided by a reputed in-home care agency in your region.
Are you wondering whether the CNAs are experts in taking care of elders? If so, in this article, we will discuss the services that they provide which help seniors in their daily life activities.
Contents
Duties of CNAs in Home Care for Elders
Several cities, for instance, Burlington in North Carolina, report that the fastest growing age group is the seniors. The Vital Signs shared a senior population growth of 18.9% in the last five years. Every one in five residents here are seniors. Furthermore, it’s also noted that one in every five seniors in this region needs help with their basic household chores.
A CNA specializing in home care in Burlington performs a wide range of tasks by assessing the health conditions of the patient, such as monitoring blood pressure and digestive issues and providing the best solution. The caregivers also help patients with their daily nutrition and ensure that they are properly hydrated.
Providing Personal Care
CNAs ensure that patients get the correct help and support for maintaining hygiene. There are times elders find it challenging to bathe or wash their mouth after a meal because of their physical weakness or inability to move freely because of certain ailments, like joint issues or surviving a cerebral attack.
In such conditions, CNAs ensure that the elders bathe regularly, brush their teeth on time, shave, and even comb their hair correctly.
CNAs also help elders select the daily dress that they are going to wear and ensure that it is clean. Incontinence is a prominent issue with seniors and needs treatment.
The CNAs ensure that the elders follow the required medication, exercises, and dietary changes to keep the issue in control.
Assisting in Homemaking Services
There are times when seniors live all by themselves because their offspring are at work in an office or are located in any other country. In such a situation, the elders also need help with daily chores.
Here, CNAs help with light housekeeping, which ensures that the ambiance of the home is in good condition for elders and others to reside. They help with cleanliness and laundry activities.
For instance, in 2020 14.2% of San Antonio’s residents were 65 years or more, from 11% in 2010. Hence, it is evident that this section of the population needs care in carrying out their daily chores and specialized assistance if they are physically weak.
Hence, agencies that provide home care in San Antonio ensure that the CNAs also help with grocery shopping and running the daily errands. Seniors might have to stick to specific food choices so that they are physically stable and get the meals at the proper time.
They help with meal planning and preparation, keeping in mind the health condition and the taste palette of the older adult.
They also ensure that the bed linens get changed at the correct intervals so that patients can sleep and rest well.
These professionals get well paid in San Antonio for delivering all these services. The average charge is $18.17 per hour, where the patients can decide the duration for which they would require home care.
Offers Quality Companionship
Elders mostly require someone to talk to and share their thoughts. The CNAs provide them with companionship by listening to them with compassion. They also help with recreational activities, such as playing indoor games with them or watching television together.
Often, they discuss various local events and current news, which helps the elders to stay mentally engaged and speak their hearts out.
Senior citizens often need to sort, read, and reply to their emails to stay connected with their family members and acquaintances. CNAs help them to do that and reply on their behalf by typing out what they have to say.
That aside, when elders have to visit a doctor or a relative’s house, they assist them to ensure that the patients are in the correct health condition and they can be of help should there be any emergency.
Always Best Care Senior Services states that leading names in this segment ensure that they address the specific needs of the elders so that they can follow an independent, safe, and dignified lifestyle.
It helps elders ailing from certain health conditions get the care they need within the comfort zone of their home.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, caring for an elderly person differs from caring for a middle-aged individual. Other than assistance with medicines, daily errands, and hygiene, they also need ample compassion that contributes to their overall well-being.
The home care assistance provided by CNAs helps senior citizens feel loved and acknowledged. All these contribute to their complete well-being.