Millions of families each year must accept the fact that their aging loved ones can no longer live independently without outside assistance. Once that happens, options include hiring a professional in-home caregiver versus moving their loved one into an assisted living community. When your loved one’s health and happiness weigh in balance, both have pros and cons that must be considered before making a final decision. This handy eldercare guide will help ensure that your choice is the right one for all parties involved.
What is an Assisted Living Community?
With assisted living, you go to the caregiver. An assisted living facility (ALF), or residential care facility, provides shared or private rooms in a community of seniors. Although there’s no constant supervision or medical treatment, 24-hour assistance is available.
On-site caregivers can help with bathing, dressing, medication management, meal services, and transportation, as needed. Services like housekeeping, laundry, physical therapy, and memory care might cost you extra.
How is Home Care Different?
According to a 2018 AARP survey, three in four Americans over the age of 50 want to stay in their current homes indefinitely. Realistically, most seniors will eventually require at least some assistance to remain independent. In-home care allows your loved one to stay at home by bringing professional caregivers to them.
How long they stay and how they help depends on the family’s specific needs. While there, home care aides can assist with non-medical activities of daily living (ADLs), like hygiene assistance, meal preparation, medication reminders, companionship, transportation, and more.
If your relative requires medical attention like physical therapy, shots, or wound dressing changes, your doctor may order home healthcare services provided by healthcare professionals with advanced training and education.
How Much Does Each Option Cost?
When family members and friends act as informal caregivers, home care is always the cheapest option. According to the 2021 Cost of Care Survey from Genworth Financial, the median monthly cost of in-home care delivered by a home health aide in the U.S. is $5,148. The median price of assisted living runs about $4,500 per month, although both figures depend on variables like the care recipient’s geographic location.
What Else Should I Consider?
Other factors to consider when choosing between assisted living and home care include:
Social opportunities
Being social is essential for good health at any age, especially for seniors. In-home caregivers offer companionship, including conversation, playing cards together, watching movies, or reminiscing old photos. Staying in the same neighborhood keeps friends and regular activities close by, and you can still host family get-togethers in an environment where everyone feels comfortable.
In an ALF, you live near your peers while having access to activities like bingo, holiday parties, and group outings. There are shared meals, organized social events, arts and crafts classes, and group trips.
Safety
No matter where they live, you want your loved one to be safe. Assisted living communities are designed to keep seniors safe, with elderly-accessible housing, security, and 24-hour personal care services. Aging at home is safe too, but it might take some home modifications, like widening doorways, remodeling the bathroom, or purchasing a medical alert system.
Quality of life
For most seniors, home is where the heart is. Nothing can duplicate the ability to spend one’s final years surrounded by family and friends without any rules and routines to follow. No matter where they go, moving is a significant inconvenience. Plus, their home is theirs. It’s comfortable and familiar. Familiar surroundings also help speed up the recovery process after an illness or surgery.
How Can I Make the Right Choice?
Assisted living and home care have similar goals — helping seniors age with dignity while staying as independent as possible. The most important thing for your family is choosing which option will keep everyone involved happy, healthy, and safe without costing a small fortune.
Your Trusted Senior Home Care Source in Northwest Boston
Finding a trustworthy home care provider isn’t always easy. At Assisting Hands Home Care, our professional in-home senior care services allow clients in the Bedford, MA, area to remain safely and comfortably in their own homes. Our trained, dependable caregivers and personal assistants can help your family overcome its eldercare challenges while making your loved one’s home an even better place to be.
Our turnkey home care services include everything from companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, and transportation to light housekeeping, laundry, and personal care assistance with bathing and dressing. From a few hours a day to around-the-clock care, our customized in-home care solutions have got your family covered. To learn more about Assisting Hands Home Care or schedule a free consultation for a senior in Northwest Boston, click here now.