It’s not easy watching your parents or an elder loved one age. And I don’t mean for aesthetic reasons. The wrinkles, crow’s feet, grey hair (or lack of hair) really only bother us when we see it in a mirror. Far more important is when we see our older family members slow down and struggle with the activities of daily living. Sometimes this follows the diagnosis of a condition or an incident such as a fall. Sometimes these difficulties just develop gradually over time. Regardless, if you’ve noticed your parents struggling, you’ve probably though about getting some senior care for them. But what form should that care take?
Assisted living
Assisted living communities are places where people (generally seniors, but also younger people with disabilities) live where there are staff on site to take care of them in some way. These communities go by many different names: retirement homes, independent living communities, senior care facilities, nursing homes, etc. Often these different names convey a slightly different type of care. Some of the names’ meanings are geographically dependent; sometimes they’re just synonyms.
The long and the short of it is that there are many different options out there when it comes to assisted living. If you live in a large suburban area, you probably have many different options. If you live in rural areas or the inner cities, you may have fewer. But regardless, they all involve moving from your home into a facility of some kind to get the care you need.
In-home care services
In-home care services, on the other hand, do not require you to move at all. With in-home care services, you can get all the care and assistance you require right in the comfort of your own home. Clearly, in-home care services have the advantage of convenience. Most seniors don’t want to leave their homes. They feel happy and comfortable there. Even the nicest, best run and organized assisted living communities can give off an impression of finality for seniors. That this is the last place they’ll ever live. That can be extremely difficult to deal with. With in-home care services, you don’t have to worry about that.
Cost
Convenience will often cost you more in this world, but the opposite is true here. Generally speaking, in-home care services are less expensive than assisted living services. This is because with in-home care services, you need not pay rent or maintenance fees to the senior care facility. You just have to pay for the home in which you’ve always lived.
Range of services
What about the range of services? Surely, an assisted living community has the ability to deliver more services than does in-home care, right? Well, not really. It’s true that some nursing homes have doctors on site or are adjacent to hospitals, so you might be able to access services that require machines –such as MRIs or surgery– a bit quicker or more conveniently. But day-to-day, it’s not as if assisted living offers a wider array of services than does the average in-home care plan. With in-home care services, you receive a customized plan of care, so whatever you need help with, you can get that help whenever you need it.
Get in touch
If you have any more questions about in-home care services, please contact us today.