The Right Kind of Help for Seniors Living Alone

Deciding on the right type of care for your loved one will depend on several different factors including: the level of care they need, their receptiveness to the care that you recommend, and what works best for everyone in your family. Some people opt for assisted living facilities, while others opt for in-home care. The difference will mainly depend on the level of care your parent requires. For the majority of seniors seeking help living alone, in-home care serves as the best option for long-term care.

Keeping Seniors in Their Own Homes

With the demographics of society shifting and our older population continuing to live longer, specific approaches to care, like in-home care, have gained traction. As a result, in-home care is growing to meet the needs of elderly communities across the country. And with its growth, more seniors have the option of aging at home.

The Benefits of the Elderly Living at Home

When it comes to care, it’s important to understand all of the benefits of one option over another. The benefits of in-home care include the ability for the elderly to continue aging without uprooting them from their homes.

After establishing their lives and their routines, many seniors would prefer to stay living in their own homes. There they can be assisted with activities of daily living.

The reality is that when seniors get to stay in their own homes, they retain a sense of independence. Beyond that, it provides them the opportunity to receive care from family members who can be their caregivers. Hence, this added benefit of having family members as caregivers allows seniors of certain communities to receive care they were otherwise lacking. This is due, in part, to cultural norms of certain communities surrounding care.

According to a 2002 study comparing seniors in nursing homes to those being cared for at home, those being cared for at home fared better on every measured variable. This included improvement in “measures of cognition, depression, incontinence, and activities of daily living.”

What Needs to Be Taken into Consideration in Caring for Elderly

While home care may be a great option for many people, there are situations where it isn’t the best fit. For example, if your aging parent or loved one suffers from moderate to severe Alzheimer’s, in-home care can present some challenges. Someone with severe dementia or Alzheimer’s may begin to wander from the home, making it harder to keep track of his or her whereabouts without constant monitoring. Another example of a situation that would make care difficult includes cases of caring for individuals with severe mobility issues. If they are at a great risk of falling throughout the house and don’t have access to safety bars or other assistance devices, this can present safety concerns that in-home care may not be able to sufficiently address. These types of scenarios might require constant monitoring instead of the supplemental help that in-home care provides.

In-home care is meant to help older adults with independent living. But, independent living isn’t always the right option for every aging adult. Thus, each individual’s health care and wellness needs to be taken into account.

Caregiving at Home Care Powered by AUAF

At Home Care Powered by AUAF, we specialize in giving help to seniors living in their own homes by providing in-home care services to the elderly. Our in-home care services include help with grooming, help with laundry, medication reminders, companionship, engagement with brain games and activities, and more. For a full list of the services that our caregivers provide take a look at our seniors services page.

Conclusion

Being able to choose the environment in which you age is a privilege of growing older today. There are many different aspects to consider when deciding on care. But, in-home care has proven itself as a valued choice for many seniors and continues to do so. If you have any questions for us, give us a call at 773.274.9262.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4749163/

https://health.usnews.com/best-assisted-living/articles/assisted-living-versus-senior-home-care