Once aging loved ones start experiencing functional limitations, families often face tough decisions about how and where that care will be provided. When enough informal caregivers aren’t available, families must choose between eldercare options that include home care, assisted living, and nursing homes. Choosing the best option for your senior requires the ability to understand each type, along with the cost and level of care they can provide. Using this caregiving guide as a reference will help ensure that all your loved one’s needs get met.
What is Assisted Living?
Assisted living is for seniors who need help with ADLs, but not as much help as a nursing home provides. Although they vary by size, type, and cost, most assisted living communities offer higher levels of care for an additional fee. Residents typically live in their own apartments or rooms while sharing common areas and taking advantage of recreational activities.
Available assisted living services may include meals, personal care assistance, medication management, light housekeeping, and laundry. The average assisted living community also offers 24-hour nursing supervision, private security, and on-site support staff.
What is a Nursing Home?
Nursing homes are residential centers for those who are medically stable but unable to live at home due to chronic conditions or functional limitations. In other words, they are facilities where residents can receive the care they need to maintain their quality of life. Examples of care that nursing homes provide include meals, personal care, medication reminders, and 24-hour supervision. Transportation and recreational activities are also available for residents.
While most nursing homes provide generalized care which doesn’t require a higher level of certification or training, a skilled nursing facility (SNF) does. In other words, a nursing home may or may not employ skilled specialists, while SNFs must have skilled specialists such as physical, occupational, and speech therapists. Although the length of stay varies, most nursing home residents live there permanently.
What is Home Care?
As the name implies, home care is care provided in the recipient’s private residence. Professional caregivers such as aides, nurses, and therapists provide short or long-term care in the home depending on the person’s needs.
Types of in-home care include:
- Personal Care and Companionship
- Private Duty Care
- Home Health Care
Non-medical home care services may include:
- Help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and toileting
- Companionship
- Transportation
- Food shopping, meal preparation, and feeding
- Supervision for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s
- Assistance with ambulation and transferring
How Much Does Each Option Cost?
According to the 2021 Cost of Care Survey from Genworth Financial, the monthly median cost of each eldercare type in Indiana is:
- In-home care: $4,767
- Assisted living: $4,283
- Semi-private nursing home room: $7,270
- Private nursing home room: $8,700
Why is Home Care the Best Eldercare Option?
As the old saying goes: “There’s no place like home.” Seniors who age in place tend to be happier, healthier, and even live longer than those who don’t. Simply put, there’s no substitute for sleeping in one’s own bed and bathing and eating in comfortable surroundings while enjoying unlimited access to family and friends.
In addition to being less expensive than a nursing home, home care also provides your loved one with benefits that include personalized, one-on-one attention and an enhanced level of privacy, comfort, and safety versus moving into an assisted living community or nursing home.
Personalized In-Home Care for Seniors in South Bend, IN
Once your family has decided to start home care, finding the right provider for your aging loved one can be just as challenging. At Senior1Care, our dedicated, compassionate professionals deliver exceptional care to individuals seeking dependable ways to maintain their independent lifestyles. In business since 2006, our unique scope of services ranges from personal care and household services to dementia care, family consultation, and geriatric care counseling.
We are a local, family-owned, and operated home care company with services that can be uniquely tailored to meet each individual client’s needs. To learn more about Senior1Care now or schedule an assessment for a senior in South Bend, IN, today, please visit us at www.senior1care.com.