The struggle between whether your senior loved one should get home care or move to an assisted living facility is real. After all, isn’t it better that they stay home? In an environment they are comfortable with? In an environment they know and love?
That’s a struggle that every family will go through when deciding between living at home or moving their senior loved one to an assisted living facility. It isn’t just the children of the seniors who will be struggling with this question, even the seniors will be wondering if this is the right thing to do.
As people become older, many of them begin to wonder about this question. This is typically a very trying period for these folks, whether it is needing to move about your home or making it across town to doctor’s appointments and other vital appointments.
Why Not Live At Home If You Can Make It Work?
It’s cheaper, it’s familiar, and let’s face it, there is no place like home. The good news is that advances in technology and medical equipment have made it easier than ever before to get elder care at home while dealing with these challenges.
However, staying at home may not be the best option for everyone. You should evaluate a range of criteria, ranging from your ability level to your budget and your accessible support network, in order to make the best selection possible.
What Is An Assisted Living Facility?
Assisted living facilities are ideal for seniors who only require minor daily assistance. This means that most assisted living homes give some assistance with different activities, such as prescription organization, but typically do not provide full-time long-term care. Boarding houses, congregate housing, adult congregate care, domiciliary care, and residential care are all terms used to describe assisted living residences.
Why and When You Should Consider Assisted Living Facilities
While living at home may be the more comfortable and obvious option, there are a lot of factors that come into play. For example, many elders are unable to perform fundamental duties on a regular basis. They struggle to perform simple tasks like bathe and make their own meals, for example. These elders can receive all of the assistance they require when they move into an assisted living facility.
How Are Assisted Living Facilities Better?
Many elderly individuals desire to stay at home because they are afraid of change. Assisted living complexes, on the other hand, might seem like home with time. Assisted living can provide short or long-term care, depending on your circumstances; it does not have to be a long-term commitment.
Residents of assisted living residences can preserve their freedom for as long as they choose without jeopardising their safety. They prioritize community and family engagement while respecting people’s privacy, autonomy, and dignity. In some facilities, it’s almost like living at home. Visitors are welcome to visit an assisted living home at any time of day or night, and they can even remain overnight. Many assisted care facilities also accept pets.
Seniors who live in assisted living have the opportunity to mingle with others on a daily basis. If your seniors are the sociable kind who love getting out there, mingling, and meeting people to keep up an active social life, then they’ll probably love this benefit. The finest element of assisted living facilities is all of the socializing.
Seniors can form deep bonds with people around them and feel a feeling of community that might otherwise be lacking. In assisted living facilities, seniors play games together, watch television together, and, most importantly, get together for discussions or casual chit chats. Most assisted living facilities do a good job of keeping residents active and entertained by offering a range of various programmes. Outdoor excursions, gaming evenings, exercise courses, crafts and hobbies, and even dance are usually available in addition to merely sitting in front of the TV.
Besides the social aspect, seniors will love the fact that they are not going to lose their freedom by choosing an assisted living facility. One of the most difficult aspects of growing older is losing your freedom. When you find you’re no longer able to do many of the activities you used to, it’s easy to become depressed.
They may live independently and do as they want inside the bounds of their facility, rather than relying on their children or neighbours to look after them. Many seniors may have less depression as a result of it, and they may feel more in charge of their life. Seniors who stay in an assisted living facility might reclaim their freedom that they believed they had lost.
Aside from flexibility, assisted living provides assistance at any time of day or night. The highly trained and qualified staff means your loved one is going to be in good hands, even when you’re not around.
Some Things Are Worth Spending On
When it comes to family, some things are worth spending on. Depending on the needs of your loved ones, an assisted living facility might be one of those things. Although assisted living is not exactly on the cheap side, it is usually less costly than a nursing facility. If your loved one has a variety of physical limitations or is in the early stages of dementia, assisted living will enable them to be relatively self-sufficient.
Before making any decisions, determine how much assistance your elderly relative needs and compare it to the amount of assistance presently accessible. Make a daily, weekly, and monthly list of things your elderly relative needs assistance with. Being able to view the whole picture makes it easier to decide on the right amount of care. Next, be realistic about the amount of assistance you, your family, friends, and neighbours can give. It’s important that you consider this long-term and a continued assistance will definitely make things easier for you and your loved one.
Home care may be a suitable option for seniors who require daily help but yet want to maintain their quality of life. When someone requires more than four or five hours of home care each day, assisted living may be the more cost-effective option.
