Is It Time for a Nursing Home? What Are the Best Options?
Assisted Care Options for Seniors
As a caregiver for a loved one, it can be difficult to accept changes and the idea that you might need assistance outside of your family. Yet, sometimes a family member needs a higher level of care or simply needs assistance more often than you can be available. Determining whether it's time for a nursing home is a major decision. This guide can help you understand warning signs that indicate your loved one may be ready for a nursing home, different assisted care options that are available, and how to evaluate the best choice for your situation.
Is It Time for a Nursing Home?
Often, aging in place is a goal for seniors and the caregivers who help manage their care. However, if the home isn't the safest place for your elderly family member, staying at home can do more harm than good. It might be time to consider a nursing home if you're experiencing one of these situations.
- A medical condition that is difficult to manage at home: Some chronic health conditions worsen over time, making it difficult to provide proper care at home. Frequent emergency room visits and hospitalizations indicate a need for ongoing medical supervision.
- Caregiver concerns: Often, it takes at least two people to manage the complex care needs of someone living with late-stage Alzheimer's disease. If you're struggling to manage caregiving alone or feel you have to take time from your responsibilities to manage care, it's likely time to seek help.
- Frequent injuries: Health and safety must remain a priority. Sometimes, it's impossible to achieve at home. If your elderly family member is experiencing frequent accidents and injuries at home, it's likely time for 24/7 professional help.
Assisted Care Options
When seeking assisted care for a family member, many people don't realize that a nursing home isn't the only option. If your loved one doesn't require the full-time professional medical care provided at a nursing home, other assisted care options might offer a more cost-effective and agreeable solution.
- In-Home Care: Non-medical in-home care provides personalized in-home senior care services that range from assistance with daily tasks to specialized care for those with Alzheimer's, Dementia, Parkinson's, and other chronic diseases. These services can allow loved ones to age in place with the right assistance and companionship level to meet their unique needs.
- Assisted Living Communities: This type of living arrangement allows residents to live in private apartments or rooms or share the space with a roommate. 24-hour emergency response is included and assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) is provided as needed. Most assisted living communities have communal dining, recreational programs, transportation services, and housekeeping and laundry services.
- Nursing Home: This option accommodates the highest level of care in private or shared rooms. 24-hour skilled assistance is provided, along with full medical care and assistance with mobility as needed.
Making the Right Choice
Whether the right assisted care level can be provided at home or your loved one is moving to a residential care facility, it's essential to evaluate companies for a perfect fit. Begin with a quality assessment to ensure your family member will receive the quality of care they need. When evaluating a live-in community, consider whether the current residents appear well cared for and ask about medication distribution services. No matter what type of facility you choose, you should feel comfortable asking about the use of personalized care plans, dietary services, procedures for responding to emergencies, and the experience level of staff members.
Beyond the quality of care, it's important to consider practical elements in your evaluation. If the best choice isn't affordable, conveniently located, or lacks critical services you need, it's not the best choice for your family.
Choosing quality care for a loved one is difficult. Yet, facing an overwhelming burden of care alone is impossible. Taking the time to evaluate the medical needs of your family member is an important first step in finding the right level of care. Often, non-medical home care is a great choice for assisted care when a loved one wishes to remain at home. Senior Helpers of Columbus North offers a variety of personalized in-home care services in Columbus, Delaware, Westerville, and the surrounding Ohio communities. Contact us today to learn more about in-home care services and how to schedule an in-home assessment.