Once aging-in-place loved ones have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs), families must face tough decisions regarding where the care will take place. In addition to informal caregivers, eldercare options include moving into an assisted living community or nursing home versus starting in-home senior care. To help you make a better-informed decision, what follows are ten advantages of choosing professional home care when your senior’s health and well-being weigh in the balance.
Familiar Surroundings
If your senior is like most, they’ve lived in the same neighborhood for years. Moving them across town or state lines into an assisted living community could mean changing stores, their place of worship, and even healthcare providers – all of which can be very stressful.
Access to Loved Ones
Because your loved one will be receiving all the support they need in their private residence, you can visit them just as much as you normally would. With home care, families tend to stay more involved with the care and maintain a closer bond with loved ones. Most nursing homes and assisted living communities have strict visiting hours.
Personalized Care
Privately funded home care can be custom-tailored to your loved one’s needs. For instance, they may only need help with light housework or transportation for a few hours per week. But if they require 24-hour or live-in care, most reputable providers also offer those services.
Independent Lifestyle
Unlike a nursing home, one of the main benefits of senior home care is that it allows your aging loved one to maintain their freedom and independence. In most instances, they can continue their social activities, hobbies, and other interests as desired.
Mind Stimulation
Spending one’s retirement years in the safety, comfort, and familiarity of their own home is highly beneficial for the average senior’s emotional health, mental health, and memory function. Conversely, moving into a new home may cause that same senior to feel anxious, lonely, and depressed.
One-on-One Attention
While in the home, your senior’s caregiver will provide them with undivided attention. In addition to making them feel special, home care will make it more likely for all your loved one’s wishes to be respected.
Safety
Under the watchful eye of their “personal assistant,” your senior is less likely to experience an injurious fall, fire, or accidental poisoning than they would be in an understaffed facility without reliable supervision. A trained professional caregiver can also restore your peace of mind by pointing out home safety modifications that need to be completed.
Companionship
Sometimes older adults just need someone to talk to. Most seniors have a plethora of fascinating stories and life experiences to share. As opposed to many other eldercare options, home care allows them to openly talk about their lives or current events with someone who will listen attentively.
Promotes Healing
When your loved one is recovering from an illness, surgery, or injury, evidence would seem to indicate that recuperating at home versus a skilled care facility results in faster healing rates, fewer complications, and a lower risk for rehospitalization.
Saves Money
Home care typically – although not always – costs less than a nursing home or assisted living. In general, eight hours or less of professional home care will be less expensive than moving into a nursing home or assisted living community. That’s a huge plus, especially when your family is pooling its resources to pay for the eldercare your loved one needs!
Keep in mind that eldercare costs vary by geographic location and the type of care that’s provided. Learn more about your state by clicking here now.
Ready to Get Started? We’re Here to Help.
Once you’ve decided to start in-home senior care, finding a trustworthy provider can be nerve-wracking. At Assisting Hands Home Care in Bedford, MA, our professional in-home senior care services allow clients in Greater Boston 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. Click here now to learn more about Assisting Hands Home Care or schedule a free consultation for a senior in Northwest Boston.