Healthcare news has been buzzing lately with talk about the need for better transitional care for hospitals. Transitioning from a care facility back home again can be very difficult for a patient. Similarly, transitioning from managing your own care to accepting help from a family member or in-home caregiver can be a challenge for an older adult as well.

As people age, their care needs are unpredictable and individualized. Even people who have planned carefully for their future find themselves in unexpected situations. Caring for or finding care for aging parents oftentimes falls to adult children. It is important for them and their parents to understand issues related to elder care needs before a crisis arises. This is a prime marketing time for home care agencies, as your expertise, resources, and services can be of vital assistance to families who find themselves in this challenging transitional time.

Few families know the full scope of planning for long-term care, and many are blindsided by the need for care after a loved one suffers a debilitating illness, such as a stroke or Alzheimer’s disease. Adult children should try to discuss this touchy subject with their parents before there is a need for elder care services. The best time to make decisions about financial, social and health wellbeing is before a crisis arises, before life changes and services are needed. If this planning has not been done, adult children will need to make these decisions with and for their parents in the middle of an emotionally difficult time for both. It is helpful to be prepared in advance to approach parents about their declining capabilities and necessary loss of independence.

Becoming a resource to home care clients before they even need your services helps set your agency up  as a trusted leader in the industry. There are excellent resources available on the web. Wading through them is no easy task. The list below are some useful sites about a range of senior care issues that agencies can provide to clients to help them find the information they need.

• Alliance for Aging Research: Dedicated to accelerating the pace of medical advancements to improve aging and health.
• National Senior Citizen’s Law Center: Advocates nationwide to promote the independence and wellbeing of low-income elderly individuals, as well as persons with disabilities.
• AGS Foundation for Health in Aging: A national non-profit organization established in 1999 by the American Geriatrics Society to advocate on behalf of older adults and their special health care needs.
• American Society on Aging: The largest association exclusively dedicated to the assisted living industry and the population it serves.
• Care Pathways: Information and products for caregivers and elderly.
• Healthfinder: The electronic index to home care resources.

With planning, the transition to a care situation can be smoother for both the parent and the adult child, and offering the services to help families plan for long-term care can help your agency run better and smoother as well. Learn how to better market your agency’s services as a trusted home care provider by contacting the aging care marketing experts at corecubed today!