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Senior Care in their Golden Years
Aging seniors face many challenges today. Rising health care costs, distance in family proximity, and much more. Having the best care for seniors starts with evaluating their needs and abilities as an individual. Some need around-the-clock care at a specialist facility. Others may simply need to be around other seniors sometimes for encouragement. Yet others want to maintain an independent lifestyle, and simply want help when needed.
Changing Senior Care Options
With rising costs of nursing homes, as well as heavy regulations of retirement and care facilities and programs, many seniors and their family loved ones are looking for alternatives to being “put in a nursing home”.
One of the biggest changes to senior care in the past 20 years is the trend toward in-home care (2). In-home care gives seniors the freedom, independence, and flexibility of remaining in their own homes while having to visit care from a trained and qualified caregiver when they need it. Some seniors only need in-home visits a couple of hours a day. Some weekly. And in other cases, seniors request nearly full-time care. Whatever the schedule, in-home care gives the care they need, inside the comfort and convenience of their own home.
What is In-Home Care?
In-home care works by having a caregiver matched with an elderly client. The caregiver comes to their personal home, to provide requested care that may be needed. This may include tasks like cooking, cleaning, organizing, or even social activities like trips together to church, shopping, or game nights. The companionship, combined with practical and physical assistance, can be an important help when needed most.
It also benefits family and loved ones, by reducing stress and burdens that are associated with regular care. In-home care allows seniors to remain semi or fully independent, as well as rest in the comforts of the environment they are used to.
Pros and Cons of In-Home Care
Before choosing in-home care, consider some of the benefits and disadvantages of this unique service:
Pros:
- Aging in the comfort of home
- Convenience and flexibility
- More personal care from a dedicated caregiver
- Potential for substantial cost savings (no facility overhead)
- Greater independence
- Easier for visits and other family/friends
Cons:
- Less access to a diversity of immediate health care staff
- Can sometimes feel lonely if no initiative is taken for social activities
- Hassles of running home if care is limited
What is a Nursing Home?
Nursing homes, on the other hand, have a wide range of care and environments. Some are large facilities with much round-the-clock staff and structured activities throughout the day. Other nursing homes are smaller and may be family-managed in the size of a large house. Regardless, nursing homes do provide a valuable service, especially for seniors who are limited in their independence and prefer to be around other elderly all the time.
Pros and Cons of a Nursing Home
When deciding on whether to use a nursing home, do your research. Many are heavily regulated because of abuses in the past, and thereby have consistent pros and cons across the board.
Pros:
- Typically on-site, 24-hour staff is available
- Meeting other friends among the elderly is easy; . . . they are always there.
- Social activities are often on the schedule
- Meals are usually part of the cost package
- Relief from the hassles of keeping up one’s home
Cons:
- High cost: Facility overhead, full-time staff, regulations. . . they all add up.
- Loss of independence
- Feeling of being “cooped up”
- More difficult for visitation
- Institutional environment: less comfortable
Independent Living
If your goal is to develop or maintain an independent lifestyle, in-home care might be the best choice. It allows you or your loved one to remain at home, and have some sense of control and independent decision making. With an in-home caregiver, certain tasks and chores can be shared, reducing the burden of remaining at home, while allowing for independence. Many seniors are opting for in-home care to allow them to keep a feeling of dignity and independence as long as they are able.
Care and Compassion
One of the important aspects to look for when searching for either in-home care or nursing home is to find compassionate care. Caregivers and staff who are trained to assist with a smile, listen, and be involved in your life are essential. Anyone can take care of tasks and chores. It takes a caring, empathetic, and listening ear to understand the stresses that the elderly deal with in their golden years.
Being matched with a caregiver that not only performs tasks on a checklist but takes time to ask questions about family, life, spirituality, struggles, dreams, and passions is important. Seniors often feel left out or unappreciated. Having a caregiver who actually cares and is involved in their life will make all the difference.
Verdict: Our Recommendation
After evaluating all of the benefits and options, we feel in-home care is the best option for most senior lifestyles. With the right involvement in activities and social life, along with the right balance of medically supervised care, in-home care can meet or exceed the benefits provided at nursing homes, at a much lower cost.
Remaining in a comfortable, familiar environment, and keeping independence, all while having the helpful assistance of a caregiver, make in-home care shine.
How to Choose the Right In-Home Care
When searching for in-home care providers, start by looking for agencies and companies that manage it. This is far better and safer than looking for an independent caregiver. Caregiving companies have a wide range of trained caregivers that can be a suitable match. In addition, there are backups available if your caregiver is sick or on vacation. In addition, there is an added assurance of supervision, customer service, and accountability that is not found with independent caregivers.
Next, you’ll want to ask for references or look through online reviews. Look for reviews that fully describe the care and services provided. If issues arose, did the in-home care company take care of them quickly? Seeing others’ experiences is powerful in understanding how your experience will be.
Finally, coming up with a schedule is important. Not all in-home care companies are created equal. Look for ones that are somewhat flexible, and offer many options for care. For example, home helper services from Golden Years In-Home Senior Care in Sacramento California, give clients the choice of having “drop-ins” and scheduled daily assistance during the times of the day they need it most. Other in-home care may offer evening visits, bathing time visits, once-a-week care, and more. Decide what works best for your family and personal schedule and budget.
Long-term Benefits of In-Home Care
Over the long-term, the benefits of in-home care are obvious. There is even research that shows greater memory retention from simply being around the little organizational tasks needed for being at home. (1). While there are certain situations that would require a stay in a dedicated facility, aging in your golden years at home can be quite enjoyable and satisfying.
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About the authors:
Mike Cutler writes on senior lifestyles elderly care, and homecare. Enjoying living in a multi-generational household, along with senior care are some of his passions. He lives with his family in Reno NV and enjoys going to the Sierra Nevada mountains for hiking and family activities.
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