Options are a great thing when you’re planning for long-term senior care. After all, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all way to address a senior’s needs. While one senior might thrive with a lot of help, another may do better by having more independence. As you explore your aging loved one’s options, consider these reasons home care may be the better choice compared to assisted living.
Encourage More Family Involvement
Assisted living facilities have visiting hours that are meant to protect the safety and comfort of the residents. While these are helpful for this type of environment, they may be inconvenient for your family to follow. Your family may also be more likely to visit your loved one if he or she stays in a home located closer to everyone else in the family. Always consider how moving your loved one to a new location with potentially restrictive rules might affect your family’s ability to stay involved with your loved one’s care.
Reduce Exposure to Illness
The staff at assisted living communities work hard to maintain hygienic environments for the residents. However, there’s always a risk of being exposed to more germs anytime a person is in a group environment. When your loved one is at home, he or she can control who visits and ask people to wait to drop by until he or she feels better. Seniors who share rooms or apartments with roommates in assisted living won’t have this option, and it’s common for illnesses such as the cold and flu to circulate among older adults who live in close proximity to one another.
Seniors are more comfortable in their own homes, which means they can usually recover from illnesses much more quickly with home care. If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with a serious condition and needs help with tasks like meal prep, transportation, bathing, and grooming, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of at-home care families can trust. We also offer comprehensive care for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
Choose the Care Level You Need
Most assisted living residences provide different levels of care. However, even their lowest level of care may still be too much for your loved one’s comfort. For instance, your loved one may still enjoy doing housekeeping and maintenance. Taking those opportunities away could significantly drop his or her level of daily activity. With home care, you can select just the types of assistance your loved one needs so he or she continues to be active.
On the other hand, your loved one may need constant care to stay safe and comfortable. If your senior loved one needs around-the-clock assistance at home, the Barrie, ON, live-in care professionals at Home Care Assistance are here to help. Our proprietary Balanced Care Method was designed to promote longevity by encouraging seniors to focus on healthy eating, regular exercise, mental engagement, and other important lifestyle factors.
Manage Financial Costs Better
The ability to choose the amount of help your loved one receives also keeps costs lower. With assisted living, your loved one may have to pay for services he or she doesn’t need just yet. There’s also the issue of paying for room and board to consider. If your loved one already owns his or her home or has a low monthly rent payment, aging in place may fit his or her budget better than other options.
Maintain Continuity of Care
Both assisted living and home care services try to reduce staff turnover rates so seniors benefit from seeing familiar caregivers. However, moving to assisted living may affect other parts of your loved one’s care plan. For example, your loved one may have to change doctors if an assisted living facility is too far from his or her current primary care provider. Staying at home helps seniors keep most of their current healthcare plans in place.
In Barrie, in-home care agencies can be a great boon to seniors. With the help of the caregivers at Home Care Assistance, your aging loved one can lead a happier and healthier life. We offer a revolutionary program called the Balanced Care Method, which encourages seniors to eat nutritious foods, exercise and socialize regularly, and focus on other lifestyle factors that increase life expectancy. Reach out to one of our Care Managers today at 647-970-3803 to schedule a free in-home consultation.