When looking into the differences between assisted living and home care for your loved ones, there are some important considerations that you will need to keep in mind including your loved one’s preferences as to where they want to continue aging in place.
Many people enlist the services of a home care agency in Philadelphia to help pair their loved one with a caregiver for care at home while others may prefer using an assisted living quality facility for their senior’s needs. Regardless, it is important to know the differences between the two.
Understanding Assisted Living
Many seniors chose to live in an assisted living retirement home as they get older and need a little more help doing their activities of daily living (ADLS) even though they are overall pretty much self-sufficient seniors.
What is Assisted Living?
Assisted living facilities, sometimes known as board and care homes, are a form of senior housing that provides supportive living assistance while allowing an individual to continue having an independent living lifestyle.
Seniors in an assisted care community usually live in apartment-style accommodations or other private accommodations and there are common areas and amenities for social activities with other residents often with an assisted living timeline of activities lined up for them. Assisted living facilities are not skilled nursing facilities or long-term care facilities and are more akin to group homes and can be great to prevent social isolation.
Services Provided in Assisted Living
An assisted living facility, unlike a nursing home or other residential care homes which provides skilled nursing care, provides services to seniors that assist them with their activities of daily living such as help bathing, grooming, getting dressed, and basic medical care. Assisted living care may also include amenities such as fitness centers, laundry services,
Assisted living is often accompanied by recreational and social facilities on site and provide transportation to appointments, errands, and social outings for recreational activities or mental stimulation. Some facilities may also have mental wellness programs such as memory care, senior depression support, anxiety support for elderly individuals, and speech therapy for seniors.
Benefits of Assisted Living Over In-Home Care
In the assisted living vs home care debate, one of the primary benefits of is the social opportunities that it provides such as interaction with other seniors in the common areas, community outings, and planned activities such as adult daycare. This can work great as depression and anxiety support for elderly individuals, combating feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Furthermore, assisted living facilities provide comprehensive care on site with staffing support available for housekeeping, laundry, meal service, and personal care services meaning that almost everything they need is on-site.
Understanding In-Home Care
Seniors who want to stay in their own homes but need care at home often choose in-home care services. Individuals who can no longer maintain an unassisted living lifestyle can enlist home care support for seniors to assist them with daily living .
What is Home Care?
Home care can either consist of a family caregiver or a caregiver paired with an individual through a private home care provider. A caregiver assists an individual with their activities of daily living through care at home so they can continue living a no-care lifestyle in the comfort of their own home.
Services Provided in In-Home Care
In-home care is often highly personalized and customizable to offer the services and levels of care that an individual needs and wants. This often includes personal care services such as assistance bathing, grooming, getting dressed, mobility care for individuals with mobility issues, and incontinence care, if necessary. Caregivers can also assist with transportation services, meal preparation, wound care, and assistance with physical activity to improve an individual’s quality of life.
Other home care amenities can include companion care services with a caregiver acting as a companion for an elderly individual, engaging in conversation with them, doing activities, and playing games with them. In home care providers also help with meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, transportation, and running errands like grocery shopping so they can maintain their independence.
Skilled caregivers and home care agencies can also perform an in-house care assessment to determine any home modifications that need to be made to the home to make it safer such as a non-slip flooring and wider doorways for mobility challenges so seniors can still have their independence.
Benefits of In-Home Care Over Assisted Living
One of the primary benefits of home care vs assisted living for seniors is that they get to stay in their own home and do not have to move somewhere else as they would be required to be in assisted living communities. In-home care creates a familiar environment where pet ownership is allowed and seniors can receive full-time care and maintenance-free living. Home care can be incredibly flexible with anywhere from part-time support to 24/7 skilled care so an individual can choose the level of care they need.
In-home can also be useful for rehab after a surgery or an illness with help from custodial care assisting an individual with their daily activities and rehabilitation services while they recover. Furthermore, family caregivers can also receive benefits from professional in-home care through respite care when they need to take a break from their caregiving duties and relieve their caregiver stress.
Home health care can also be useful to get personalized care such as for people who suffer from a progressive disease, cognitive decline, sundowning, need 24- hour supervision or need specialized care such as one-on-one care or other health care services.
Further Considerations When Choosing Between In-Home Care and Assisted Living
When deciding on in-home care or assisted living, do your research, reviewing the assisted living statistics and home care case studies to see how seniors in your loved one’s community and condition do in each. Senior living advisors can help you make a customized care plan and determine what sort of local services are available from residential care facilities and in-home caregivers such as specialized care, 24/7 care, and more using an eldercare locator.
Furthermore, assisted living or home care cost will certainly be a consideration with the cost of assisted living generally being slightly more expensive than in-home care. Additionally, if an individual has a chronic illness that requires constant chronic care above non-medical care, you might want to consider a nursing home.
Regardless of which type of care your loved one chooses, the senior living costs need to be handled. There are many resources to get information as to how to pay for life care communities or the cost of care for other senior care options such as an area agency on aging who can discuss senior living payment assistance from things such as long-term care insurance, veterans benefits, private pay discounts, and medicare with a financial assistance care compare tool.
Who Qualifies for In-Home Care or Assisted Living?
When looking at home care eligibility, individuals who want to stay in their own home but need assistance doing their daily activities are usually good candidates. This can include individuals who need constant assistance and even dementia and emotional care. The home care insurance regulations may vary by plan.
When looking into an assisted living family guide, it will often recommend assisted living for an individual who is in relatively stable health who needs assistance with their daily activities and would benefit from things such as meal plans and counseling for seniors.
A Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) is a facility that can take care of individuals as their needs change. Continuing care retirement communities might be a good option for someone who is somewhere between the qualifications for assisted living and nursing home care.
Schedule a Free Consultation to Explore Care Solutions That Fit Your Needs
If you are interested in quality in-home care for a loved one, New Beginnings Home Care is here for you, providing exceptional eldercare options for seniors who want to remain in the comfort of their own home. New Beginnings can assist with seniors who just need a little help, seniors with dementia, and individuals that need 24/7 help. Contact New Beginnings today to schedule a free consultation.