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If you have an elderly to care for at home, you should not be unfamiliar with the dilemma that is – should you be sending him/her to a residential care facility, or is going down the home-care route system a better option?
Understandably, home care is always the first choice for most older adults. After all, who doesn’t want to remain in their homes as they age?
In-home aged care allows the elderly to continue to stay in the comfort of their own home and live as they are used to without major disruptions to their daily lifestyle. Incidentally, it also becomes the preferred option for most family members (circumstances allowing).
Excluding the existence of any significant illness or medical condition that requires professional medical settings in place, there are actually many benefits that come with in-home care for seniors. Here are the top 5:
5 Reasons In-Home Care is Often the Best Care for Seniors
1. Comfort and Familiarity
While some elders may do just fine settling into a nursing home or residential care facility, more often than not home is where it feels most safe and secure for most seniors.
For firsts, it doesn’t require making big lifestyle changes (unlike moving into an assisted living facility). Seniors get to continue wake up each day in their own bedroom, be surrounded by their own possessions / familiar things, use their own toilets, and interact with neighbors they have known for years. They can continue to do gardening, and they won’t have to part with their beloved pet (if any).
Such comfort and sense of security are something that can never be replaced or found in any alternative setting. More importantly, being in a familiar environment is found to be beneficial, especially for those suffering from progressive conditions that affect memory i.e. dementia.
Speaking of which, it is found that pet companionship plays a big part in calming dementia patients. Not to mention the significant impact it has in easing loneliness and reducing heart disease etc., which brings us to our next point.
2. Companionship
Staying connected is a big one. There are far too many seniors who live alone nowadays, and what follows is a great sense of social isolation and feelings of loneliness that slowly engulf them, leading to a decline in health eventually.
In-home care provides just the companionship they need. A quintessential part of any in-home aged care service, a caregiver is a familiar face that accompanies them every day. From something as simple as conversing over coffee, gardening and cooking, to going for walks or playing games together, they have a friend… someone to do things with.
Do not underestimate the power of this – friendly interactions, and meaningful human connections, all stave off loneliness and depression in elderly adults and the impact on their overall health and wellbeing is well evident.
3. Personalized, One-on-One Care
In-home care also means your beloved elderly gets one-on-one attention. S/he will be the primary focus of the caregiver and such a level of attention and dedicated care is something you cannot achieve in a residential facility. For firsts, there is no need to adjust to the schedules and routines of the facility.
Secondly, professional caregivers are trained to read all subtle cues common to a senior’s mental and physical condition. Any anomalies i.e. refusal to eat, sudden weight loss, fluctuations in memory, etc. will be quickly detected, and prompt action can be taken to remedy the situation without delay.
Also, you can customize your care plan according to your needs. Just need assistance for a couple of hours a day? Or full-time live-in care is more of a suitable option?
4. Affordable Care
Now, this might come as a surprise to many given the myth that professional caregivers are very expensive.
Quite the opposite in fact. With nursing homes or other assisted living facilities, seniors have to pay for their room, care, and food, etc. Comparatively, there is a whole lot more flexibility when it comes to out-of-pocket expenses with in-home care as it usually charges just by the hour.
Incidentally, if you just need assistance on a part-time basis, the cost of in-home care can be significantly lower than a nursing home. Even if you need to bring skilled care services to your home, it is still a far more budget-friendly and affordable option.
You could subsidies part of the cost with the Home Care Package.
5. Peace of Mind
Sure, to be able to stay at home is so much better. But when an aging loved one begins struggling with household tasks and activities of daily living, you can’t help but worry.
Hiring home care solves this once and for all. Knowing that there is someone trained and skilled to take care of your elderly loved one gives priceless respite opportunities. You won’t have to worry about them being alone, falling or getting hurt while showering or using the stove, etc., and such peace of mind is highly valuable and worth it. Your stress level is greatly reduced, and you can rest easy knowing that your loved one is being well cared for.
Conclusion
As you can see, the benefits of senior individuals living and aging in their own homes are undeniable. Research has shown that seniors stay healthier and have a better quality of life when they can remain in their homes, which really, is no surprise at all. We all want to stay as independent as possible for as long as possible!
If it fits with your circumstances, we do think that hiring home care is an excellent option. Professional in-home caregivers are able to give that hands-on care to your loved ones, covering both the emotional and routine aspects of their daily life without disrupting too much of what they are used to their whole life. And that is so important to an aging person’s quality of life.
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