Seniors who need extra help with the activities of daily living may choose from several care options. Two common forms of support are in-home care and assisted living. Both types of care help older people with daily tasks—but home care is the preferred option due to its many benefits.
Benefit 1: Aging in Place
Most older people have the desire to age in place. This means that seniors have the opportunity to remain at home for as long as possible. Home care fulfills their wish to live at home. They receive support with everyday tasks, allowing them to function with some level of independence.
Professional caregivers provide reliable in-home care services. As a result, their elderly care recipients enjoy living in the comfort and familiarity of home. Furthermore, seniors who receive in-home care have the chance to remain close to the family and friends in their community.
Staying connected with loved ones is important for the social and emotional health of seniors. Living near friends keeps them socially engaged. Professional caregivers are instrumental in facilitating social activities, as they provide transport to social events and the senior center.
When moving into an assisted living facility, on the other hand, seniors must overcome the challenge of becoming acquainted with a new living environment and new faces. Many elderly individuals prefer to stay in familiar surroundings and with people they know and love.
Benefit 2: Companionship
Home care professionals build strong relationships with their care recipients. Companion caregivers keep seniors socially active and prevent them from experiencing loneliness, isolation, and the resulting feelings of depression. The personalized attention given to seniors is especially meaningful to them.
Assisted living facilities fail to provide the one-to-one attention seniors crave. Rather, multiple staff members rotate shifts to care for residents. This impersonal setup means that consistent care and attention are not delivered. Home care, however, is designed to enhance individual well-being.
Benefit 3: Customized Care
As professional caregivers get to know their care recipients, they are better able to deliver personalized care. Seniors who enjoy outings and events are accommodated by caregivers who promote an active lifestyle. Caregivers fill the older adult’s schedule with leisure activities.
Some elderly people prefer the calm and quiet of home. Compatible caregivers are matched up with these seniors and pencil in activities, like arts and crafts, playing games, or reading. Seniors enjoy fulfilling lives when caregivers help them lead a lifestyle that is comfortable for them.
Assisted living offers a standard, impersonal form of healthcare services that may not fit all personality types, especially those who thrive with one-on-one attention. Staff are merely professionals rather than the companions and friends who in-home care professionals soon become.
Benefit 4: Independence
The customized care provided by home care professionals helps seniors remain independent. Professional caregivers learn about the unique care needs of their care recipients and, when it is safe to do so, encourage them to perform tasks on their own. This boosts the senior’s confidence.
Residents in assisted living facilities are expected to demonstrate a certain level of independence in order to be admitted. Seniors are allowed to manage their own finances and have the right to participate in residential councils. However, staff do not encourage independence like caregivers do.
Benefit 5: Progressive Care
Seniors may start with minor care needs. After time passes, they may require more extensive care services. Home care allows for this progression in care. The initial care plan is designed to be flexible to accommodate changes in care needs. Plus, the senior remains with the same caregiver.
Dementia patients, for example, start out with a few days of in-home care. Once their condition advances and they must rely on others to complete the activities of daily living, they may receive 24-hour care or hospice care. Home care agencies deliver this wide range of care services.
Assisted living facilities are staffed with numerous employees who look after the care needs of seniors around the clock. But when the care needs of a resident progress, the assisted living facility is no longer able to provide care. Consequently, their next place of residence is a nursing home.
Benefit 6: Eligibility
Anyone with care needs is permitted to hire a home care agency and receive quality care from professional caregivers. Receiving in-home care does not have to be authorized by healthcare providers. Seniors with cognitive impairment or who use a wheelchair are free to hire in-home caregivers.
Seniors entering an assisted living facility, however, must meet certain requirements. People diagnosed with disorders that affect cognition or who move around in a wheelchair need more specialized care—as a result, these individuals may not be eligible to enter an assisted living facility.
Several additional benefits come with hiring in-home care over assisted living. These include lower costs, especially when care needs are fewer, and the ability of home care agencies to direct seniors to local elder care resources. Assisting Hands Home Care provides these invaluable services and more.
Our highly rated home care agency meets the non-medical care needs of elderly individuals in the comfort of their home. Professional caregivers are licensed, bonded, and insured to give families and their loved ones peace of mind. Caregivers are also trained in CPR and First Aid.
We offer a wide range of care services, including overnight care, after-surgery care, and hospice home care. Compassionate memory caregivers from our agency are skilled in handling symptoms presented by seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. We’re also available for 24-hour and live-in care.
The care responsibilities our caregivers perform are comprehensive. We provide safe transportation to doctors’ offices, shop for groceries, give medication reminders, and serve as pleasant companions. Our custodial care promotes the overall health and well-being of our valued care recipients.
When the senior in your life would benefit from personalized, flexible in-home care, choose Assisting Hands Home Care. Our services are available to seniors in Collegeville, King of Prussia, Limerick, Norristown, West Norriton Pennsylvania, and the surrounding areas. Call us at (610) 541-2515 to schedule a complimentary in-home consult today and start senior home care.
