If you have a loved one that requires assistance for day to day tasks but still has a good level of independence then it can be difficult to choose between an assisted living facility and professional home care services.
If you have an elderly parent or someone that you love that needs regular care then often the thought of moving them into an assisted living facility will enter your head first. But in a lot of cases this is not the best decision for your loved one or you. More and more people are turning to home care services these days and there are a number of good reasons for this.
Most Seniors prefer to stay at Home
What do you think the reaction will be if you tell your loved one that they will have to move out of the home that they have lived in for many years and go to a facility that is full of strangers? It is not likely to be a good one is it?
The fact is that most seniors prefer to remain in their own homes. They derive a great deal of comfort from their familiar surroundings and if they can receive the right level of care from a professional home services provider they will feel a lot better about the whole situation.
Maintain a Positive frame of mind
For a lot of elderly people, being uprooted from their homes and transported to an assisted living facility signals the beginning of the end. They will feel that they have lost their independence and autonomy.
When your loved one stays in their own home they will feel that they are still in control even though they need care. It is likely that they will maintain a positive frame of mind and that their morale will be a lot higher than if they had to move to assisted living.
Your Loved One can see who they want whenever they want
Although most assisted living facilities claim that they openly welcome visitors, they may restrict the times that people can visit for security reasons. This is unlikely to go down well with most elderly people.
Staying at home means that they can accept visitors whenever they like. Your loved one can have any number of people visit them at any time meaning that they are totally in control of the situation.
They will get better Faster
Research has proven that people that choose to recover at home get better faster than those that are in a facility such as assisted living. They will also be protected from harmful germs that can cause infections and worsen their condition.
Keeping your Loved One’s Independence
No matter how well an assisted living facility tries to sell that your loved one will maintain their independence the reality is that it will not be. Once in a facility your loved one will have to play by the rules that exist.
Your loved one will have many decisions made for them with assisted living. This is not the case if they remain at home and receive home care services. They will be able to make their own decisions and with the help of the care giver, if necessary, do whatever they want.
Your Family and Friends can be involved in the care
With home care services you can get your loved one’s family and friends involved in the care giving. This would not be possible with assisted living. Your loved one will really appreciate having the people that they love around them and helping them.
It is usually more Cost Effective
Your loved one staying at home and receiving home care services is usually more cost effective than moving into an assisted living facility. Sometimes insurance can help to pay for some of the costs involved with home care services.
Continuity and Better levels of care
Most of the time the same care givers will visit your loved one to provide the assistance that they need. This will help in building a good relationship with the care providers. Your loved one will receive personal attention which they will not receive in an assisted living facility.
Individual care is a lot better for your loved one than receiving assistance from any number of care givers when they have the time to provide it. Assisted living facilities will never promise individual care as there are many residents to look after and a finite number of care staff.
Now that you know why it is better for your elderly loved one to stay at home and receive professional home care services, you will want to know more about the services offered. We offer the very best home care services so please get in touch today to see how we can help.