Older people may eventually need extra support with activities of daily living. When this situation arises, families must consider viable care options. Nursing homes, assisted living, and home care are practical choices for aging seniors who’d benefit from assistance.
What is a nursing home?
A nursing home is a care facility designed to provide full-time medical care to aging adults who need continual monitoring and health care. Usually, residents of nursing homes are afflicted with severe physical or cognitive ailments that demand 24-hour nursing care.
What is assisted living?
Assisting living is intended for older people who enjoy a social atmosphere. These seniors choose to not live alone and instead reside in community-style long-term housing. Elderly individuals in assisted living facilities may eat together, participate in recreational activities, or go on outings with other residents.
What is home care?
Home care services are provided in the senior’s own home. Professional caregivers assist the care recipient with daily activities, such as meal preparation and hygiene tasks. Personal care allows the senior to age in place. Custodial care does not include nursing care.
What are the benefits of a nursing home?
Families who aim to provide an elderly loved one with continual monitoring and health care services will turn to a nursing home facility. The senior receives help with eating and mobility when he cannot perform these activities independently due to a chronic or disabling health condition.
A nursing home stay may also be brief. Normally, short stays occur when an older adult suffers an injury, such as a fall, and must receive rehabilitation services. In the facility, the senior receives constant supervision and around-the-clock medical care from rotating shifts of staff.
What are the benefits of assisted living?
Living in an assisted living facility is ideal for seniors who require a minor level of nursing care but not full-time medical care. Socially active seniors who seek the company of friends and peers thrive in the community-oriented lifestyle promoted in assisted living facilities.
The senior who’d benefit from staying in an assisted living environment may be in good health, but understands that extra help will be vital in the future. Assisted living is also beneficial for older people who need help with daily activities, like bathing and dressing.
What are the benefits of home care?
Home care is the preferred option for the majority of aging people, simply because they have an opportunity to age in place. Seniors who receive this type of care at home remain near close friends, family and their community—which can be vital to their social and emotional health.
Professional caregivers take care of their daily physical and emotional needs, such as serving as companions to seniors who live alone or providing transportation to older adults who no longer drive. All non-medical care needs are satisfied by home care professionals.
How do seniors qualify for nursing home care?
In order for seniors to be admitted to a nursing home, they must meet certain entry requirements established by the state. Typically, they show they require a higher level of medical care. A physical assessment by a medical professional or a physician’s order begins the admittance process.
How do seniors qualify for assisted living?
Assisted living facilities also have entry requirements, basically ones that show the senior currently has some level of independent functioning. The senior should be able to transfer from a bed to a wheelchair independently, for example. Seniors with severe cognitive impairment may not be admitted.
How do seniors qualify for home care?
Seniors of all ability levels who decide to incorporate home care into their lives can do so. Home care does not come with specific eligibility requirements. If the senior or family believes extra help at home would be beneficial, consulting a local home care agency is the next step.
Nursing homes do not offer personalized care. Seniors admitted to these facilities receive medical care from various teams of nursing home care staff. A stay in a nursing home can also be expensive, with the median cost of skilled nursing ranging from $7,000 to $9,000 per month.
Assisted living facilities are a good choice for seniors who seek an active social life and are comfortable living in a group atmosphere. However, not all older adults want to live in community-style apartments. Some aging people prefer to live in the familiarity and privacy of a home setting.
Home care is ideal for seniors who desire customized care at home. Professional caregivers become acquainted with their daily needs and hobbies, thereby providing a high level of personalized care. Social needs are also met by the companionship services provided by dedicated home care professionals.
Assisting Hands Home Care
Families evaluating care options for an elderly loved one are frequently drawn to the in-home care services provided by Assisting Hands Home Care. We are a highly rated senior care agency that assists older adults with all non-medical care needs in the comfort of their homes.
Personalized care from our home care agency is comprehensive. Professional caregivers fulfill care needs, such as help with personal hygiene, meal preparation, and transportation. Along with driving seniors to doctors’ appointments and social events, we accompany them throughout the trip.
Assisting Hands Home Care also offers specialized care. Our compassionate memory care is helpful to seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. We offer hospice care for terminally ill patients, respite care to give family caregivers relief, and 24-hour care for continued monitoring.
Families place full trust and confidence in our care services because our caregivers pass stringent professional requirements. Our caregivers are CPR certified, background checked, and regularly supervised by an administrator. They also receive high ratings from seniors and their families.
When your elderly loved one shows signs of needing extra support at home, choose Assisting Hands Home Care. Our agency is committed to serving the care needs of seniors living in and around Winter Garden, Florida. Call us today to schedule an in-home consult and start quality senior home care.
CARE QUIZ
Is grandma’s arthritis making it hard for her to cook for herself like she used to? Did grandpa recently “lose his balance” and fall? Has dad been recently hospitalized for illness? Are mom’s breast cancer treatments taking their toll?
Bringing up the subject of home care can be a tough one. To help you make the decision, or even begin the conversation with your loved ones, take our care quiz.
1. Is your loved one ill or in the hospital for an illness or surgical procedure?
2. Have you thought about a post-hospital plan?
3. Have there been any mishaps around the home that have been explained away?
4. Are your loved ones able to safely navigate their home and do the stairs without assistance?
5. Do your loved ones use their durable medical equipment (DME) (walkers, cane, etc…) correctly and as directed? Or are they still taking the trash out without using their equipment?
6. Have your loved ones fallen recently?
7. Are you comfortable with your loved one living independently?
8. Do you struggle to balance your needs and obligations with someone else’s (going into work late to take someone to an appointment, declining invitations, etc…)
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, please reach out to us to discuss your needs. The local Assisting Hands Home Care team is available to help you make the best decisions for your situation. We have been in your shoes and take the time to listen to your needs and concerns. Our director of nursing and/or owner will gladly come out to your location to ecommendations to allow your loved one to stay safe, Happy and at Home™ and help connect you to local resources. This will allow you to have peace of mind.
