Business helps seniors stay at home

The owner of a for-profit service, which provides non-medical home care to seniors, said her business is helping to alleviate the city's hospital bed shortage.

Lisette Wirta, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Sudbury, said her business provides home care services such as housekeeping, meal preparation and personal care.

“If a client has had a hip replacement, and they live alone, they can't go home because even though the (North East) Community Care Access Centre will give them the medical care they need (at home), who is going to do their groceries, vacuum their house and prepare their meals?” she asked.

“(Our service) would help them get home quicker because we can do the things they can't.”

Home Instead Senior Care has 27 locations across Canada. Wirta said she opened the Sudbury office a little more than a year ago, and is signing up clients “all the time.”

She said the services provided by businesses such as hers are in demand because the population is aging.

“They're saying that as of January 2011, there will be approximately 7,000 people a day turning 65,” Wirta said.

“People are healthier, people live longer, people know what they want and they know they have choices now.”

Although receiving outside help can help seniors to stay in their homes, a study done by Home Instead Senior Care (through surveys completed by caregivers on their website) showed many seniors are resistant to such assistance, she said.

“A lot of seniors think that the minute they admit they need help, it's over for them,” Wirta said.

“When you've lived independently your whole life, and all of a sudden you're having trouble cleaning your house and preparing meals, to admit that to people, they think that's basically saying 'Time to put me in long-term care and throw away the key.'”

Wirta suggests caregivers who want their parents to receive outside help in their home should say to them “'I'm trying to help you stay in your home.'”

She said she also has a lot of clients who will purchase a gift certificate so their parents can try home care services for a short period of time to see how they like it.

“Then they realize it gives them their independence, instead of taking it away.”

Wirta said purchasing private home care services can also take some of the burden away from caregivers.

“When it comes to family care, we all work for a living,” she said.

“You're running like crazy, and all of a sudden, you have to go bring mom to do groceries, and make sure mom's OK.

“It just becomes so overwhelming and stressful. I think the statistics we're showing are that a caregiver will spend at least another 30 hours caring for their family. That's like two full-time jobs.”

For more information about Home Instead Senior Care, phone 705-523-1600 or visit www.homeinstead.com.