When At-Home Care Is and Isn’t a Good Choice for Seniors
Is your older loved one living at home but struggling with some of life’s daily tasks like bathing or dressing? Are they finding it more difficult to prepare their own healthy meals or manage their medications?
The most common first step when more assistance is needed is to increase the amount of time that family and friends can contribute.
Engaging with a home care or home health care agency might be next if even more help is required, but families may wonder if there’s a time when at-home care is no longer a good choice. Exploring all the options can help you answer that question.
At-home care or home health care services: what are the differences?
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, at-home care and home health care services and providers are not the same.
When At-Home Care Is and Isn’t a Good Choice for Seniors
Is your older loved one living at home but struggling with some of life’s daily tasks like bathing or dressing? Are they finding it more difficult to prepare their own healthy meals or manage their medications?
The most common first step when more assistance is needed is to increase the amount of time that family and friends can contribute.
Engaging with a home care or home health care agency might be next if even more help is required, but families may wonder if there’s a time when at-home care is no longer a good choice. Exploring all the options can help you answer that question.
At-home care or home health care services: what are the differences?
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, at-home care and home health care services and providers are not the same.
At-home care: provides nonmedical services in an individual’s home, such as transportation to appointments, assistance with bathing or grooming and preparing meals. Other services may include medication reminders, laundry and cleaning the home. Care aides provide the services and aren’t usually licensed to offer medical assistance. At-home senior care is less expensive than home health care.
Home health care: also provides services in the home, but the assistance is medical and is delivered by licensed professionals. The care is usually prescribed by a doctor and arranged through an agency. Services can include wound care, administration of medications or IVs, and therapies such as physical, speech or occupational. Home health care is more expensive than home care due to the medical support from licensed providers.
A combination of home health care and at-home care is for when families find that their loved one requires help with both clinical and daily tasks. In this case, both home health care and at-home senior care may be needed. Senior living communities, like Galloway Senior Living, which offers assisted living and memory care services, are an option that provides both When is at-home care a good choice?
Senior care at home might be a sound choice if your loved one is able to live somewhat independently and is in relatively good health. When the hours required are minimal, at-home senior care can be cost-effective.
It can also work well if there is a family member available who can help manage the care, including tracking any changes in health or assistance needs as well as coordinating hours that others may be contributing.
Other elements outside of assistance, however, need to be considered when a loved one remains at home, including the availability of activities, social events and opportunities to interact with others. It’s helpful to make a list of features that are integral for your loved one to have a high quality of life.
When at-home care may not be the best option
Here are some questions to consider as you decide whether at-home care or another option is right for your loved one.
- Is the home accessible for current or future care needs, or will expensive or extensive renovations be required?
- Is assistance with daily tasks beginning to exceed what the caregiver can provide?
- Do the services they require exceed shopping, cooking, housecleaning, laundry and transportation?
- Are there limited opportunities for your loved one to participate in recreational activities or fitness classes?
- Is your loved one otherwise isolated from friends and regular social interaction with others?
- Do your loved one’s transportation needs require more than a basic vehicle?
- Does your loved one no longer feel safe and secure in the home and/or living alone?
Choosing quality of life
While many older adults may express the desire to remain in their home for retirement, it may be out of fear of losing independence and self-reliance. But when daily life becomes more of a challenge or the need for help continues to increase, it might be a good time to consider another option – moving into an assisted living community. At communities like Galloway Senior Living, your loved one will enjoy an independent lifestyle, including amenities like:
- An accessible residence
- Assistance with daily tasks
- Healthy dining options
- Activities and social events
- Opportunities to meet and make new friends
- Fitness classes for both physical and cognitive health
- Scheduled transportation
- Additional safety and security features
- Peace of mind that help is always available
When you and your loved one are considering the best choice, ask which option will provide the highest quality of life. The answer will help guide you to the best decision!
If you are trying to decide between at-home senior care, home health care or a senior living community for your loved one, we hope you will consider Galloway Senior Living as a possible solution! Galloway offers quality assisted living and memory care in Wadsworth, Illinois. Our state-of-the-art senior living community was designed to provide residents and their families with an affordable luxury experience, featuring comprehensive care and top-notch services and amenities. For more resources to help you make your decision, we invite you to download our complimentary Family Decision Toolkit.
