Why is Home Care Better Than a Nursing Home?
Aging is a natural and inevitable part of life. While time doesn’t slow down for anyone, it’s also natural for a child to begin worrying about their aging parent’s well-being.
The process of aging tends to come with some physical and cognitive symptoms you shouldn’t ignore. Whether an aging parent is unsteady on their feet or becoming a bit more forgetful, adult children ought to consider how they’re handling the responsibilities of day-to-day living and whether it’s safe for them to go on doing so.
In this season of life, it’s typical for children to contemplate various care options for their aging parents. From home care to nursing homes and the variety of living communities in between, it’s easy to get lost in the array of choices.
For many seniors, aging in place is ideal. Staying in the comfort of a home they know while simultaneously receiving assistance where and when it’s needed helps keep a sense of independence intact.
For adult children looking after aging parents, the decision to go the home care route comes with plenty of questions attached. The first is often, why is home care better than a nursing home?
The Benefits of Aging in Place: Why Is Home Care Better Than a Nursing Home?
Traditionally, nursing homes were the go-to solution for aging parents who struggled to take care of daily responsibilities in their own homes safely. Today, families enjoy more customized care options through home care services than ever before, which is often a huge relief for adult children and aging parents alike.
Home care services offer up a personalized approach to aging that simply isn’t available in nursing home settings. Whereas nursing homes house aging adults at varying levels of dependency, you can organize home care to fit your parent’s changing needs.
In-home staff can help take care of those daily responsibilities and tasks that aging adults no longer feel comfortable carrying out. Beyond that assistance, those aging adults are then free to carry on with everyday life in a way that makes them happy.
Similarly, living in a familiar place and working with a customized in-home care team means aging adults don’t have to wait on help as they might in a nursing home setting. In nursing homes, the staff is often divided among residents with drastically different needs.
That means those who are more self-sufficient may have to wait for services until staff attends to those who are more dependent. Home care takes the wait out of assistance and instead provides the help aging adults need, right when and where they require it.
Adult children wondering why home care is better than a nursing home will also find that this type of service provides caretakers with more insight into any condition deterioration in aging adults. Generally, the same caretaking staff works regularly with aging adults, giving them a chance to monitor physical health or cognitive changes daily.
It’s no secret that the small things in life can bring a lot of happiness. Those who opt for home care services over nursing home settings will continue to have a say in decisions such as meal selection, socialization standards, and even interior decor! It may sound simple, but these elements of life remaining firmly intact have the power to enhance a sense of joy and promote healthy living for as long as possible.
How to Make Home Care a Reality
For some families, the article question “why is home care better than a nursing home?” comes down to finances. Compared to the soaring rate of nursing home care, home care services are often much more affordable.
Because home care is a private service rather than a community living setting, providers often offer the benefit of creating customized payment plans to fit an aging individual’s particular needs. You may utilize these services in tandem with government programs and private financing options.
No matter the reason for choosing home care, the process must begin with an open and honest family conversation. Going over service options with aging parents is vital from the start.
Once individuals in need of home care are onboard with aging in place, finding which services are appropriate often begins with a needs assessment. From here, home care providers can evaluate what assistance their patients require and how often care will be needed.
The beauty of this evaluation is that it’s a continual process once services are established. You can adjust home care services in real time as the needs of aging patients progress. Even better is that all care can be done within an environment that keeps aging parents feeling safe and welcome. For those receiving care, knowing they’ll be looked after daily while maintaining independence is empowering. And for families of those receiving home care, having a team of professionals in place to provide assistance when it’s needed brings the peace of mind they deserve.
If you or your family member is considering in-home care as part of a plan to age in place, contact Family Matters In-Home Care today for a free consultation. Our team is dedicated to supporting your family and helping older adults enjoy life in the comfort of their own home for as long as possible.
Some of the services offered by Family Matter In-Home Care include: Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care, Bed & Wheelchair Transfer Assistance, Companionship, Housekeeping & Meal Preparation, Personal Care, Recovery Care, and Transportation.
Serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater San Diego, Family Matter In-Home Care has offices throughout California including: Campbell, CA, Roseville, CA, San Marcos, CA, and San Mateo, CA.
