Home Care vs. Nursing Home: How to Make the Best Decision
When your loved one starts witnessing the initial drawbacks of aging it can be tough. When they are unable to take care of themselves properly and carry themselves as they did before it affects their sense of independence leading to anxiety and depression.
So how do you choose what’s best for them? Is home care with a personal touch best for them or a nursing home? Let’s look at the facts.
Pros of Home care with a Personal Touch
Satisfaction and care given in a personal environment is the aim of home care. Nothing can beat the serenity and emotional fulfillment that home brings. This is a major factor to look at when making the choice for your elderly loved one’s care especially if they have Alzheimer’s or Dementia.
The major benefits of in-home care include:
- The disruption that comes with relocation is not an issue with in-home care.
- The comfort that comes with the familiarity of the environment is always there.
- In-home care allows seniors a level of independence that can help them find as much normalcy as they can in their life.
- Your caregiver remains the same allowing an additional sense of familiarity and trust that comes with a personal home care service. In nursing homes, your caregiver is often changing so this sense of familiarity is lost in that case.
- With home care, your loved one can be able to indulge in meals that they actually like. While in nursing homes the food prepared is for multiple people at a time so it’s not always according to the preference of your elderly love one.
- Customizable services are another huge benefit that comes with personal home care services. The services provided are tailor-made to suit your loved one. While nursing homes often go with the “one size fits all” mentality.
In-home care comes with many benefits but there are some drawbacks that are easily resolved:
Cons of in-Home Care
Who you hire is important- The care you get depends on the home care service you choose to hire. Hiring a professional who cares should be your top priority. Attentiveness and dedication are the best characteristics that should be found in a home care provider.
How to resolve this issue: Look for a licensed home care provider with a perfectly trained and well-monitored staff.
For more information on how to choose the best home care for your elderly visit our blog: “How can you choose the right Personal Care Provider?”
Security- Homes do not provide a completely secure environment 24/7 so your loved one can often encounter some hazards including:
- Slipping in bathroom
- Appliances catching on fire
- Taking the wrong medication
- Falling because of stairs
How to resolve this issue: Check if the in-home care service you choose provides 24/7 service.Make sure they are well aware of these hazards and know how to stop these hazards from happening.
Pros of Nursing Homes
If your loved one has a medical issue that requires medical professionals at every turn then a Nursing Home is what you need. Some benefits that Nursing homes provide are:
- Nursing homes are more secure than homes so if your loved one has a habit of wandering they can be easily monitored at a nursing home.
- Nursing homes provide 24/7 medical care with medical professionals handling each and every task for your loved one.
Cons That Come with Nursing Homes
Nursing homes sometimes have negative effects looking from a different perspective:
- It can take away the feeling of normalcy from your loved one’s life. When someone monitors you every time of every day it can be a daunting feeling. The feeling of becoming old and the end of your loved one’s golden years is a constant reminder at a nursing facility. This feeling is not so overpowering in the comfort of one’s home.
- The adjustment period that your loved one goes through can be long. Accepting a nursing facility as their new home can hard.
- In addition, Nursing homes can be a lot more expensive than in-home care services. Healthcare services are not easily affordable for people with less income.
- With constantly changing caregivers your loved one might think the communication and quality of care they receive are fluctuating frequently. This can cause their stress level to increase.
Costs of Home Care vs. Nursing Homes
Costs of elderly care whether it’s a nursing home or home care depends on three things:
- The location where you’re getting the care services
- The type of care you need
- The level of services you need for optimal care.
Costs of care are set according to the state and area you’re situated. The average living costs of the area are a major deciding factor in this case. Personal home care service is a lot cheaper in most cases. According to a study done in 2020, the average cost of full-time care in nursing homes came to roughly $82,128 to $92,376 annually. Additional costs were also added in for special services like memory care for Dementia and Alzheimer’s. In comparison to nursing homes, In-home care services come to roughly about $59,040 annually.
Current statistics and cost factors prove that providing your elderly with a personal home care environment might be better for their health. You can even save additional money that comes with relocating your loved one to a new unfamiliar place. Keeping your elderly confined to their beds at nursing homes is only a good option if they have major alignments and health conditions.
Emotionally speaking knowing their family is involved in the home care process gives your loved one peace of mind. When you can get expert one-on-one care that your loved one needs from homecare services like Amazing Grace Homecare, looking at more expensive options is useless and a waste of money.
Now that you understand the cons and benefits of both Nursing Homes and Home Care you can make a more informed decision for your loved one’s care!
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