When you’re caring for your aging family member, you want what is best for her. Sometimes that means making decisions between types of care, like assisted living and in-home care. Which one is truly the best solution for your senior’s needs? The answer is to look at what each type of care is and what your senior needs are. Don’t forget to factor in what she wants, too, because that is also important.
In-home Care Allows Your Senior to Stay at Home
This type of care allows your aging family member to stay in her home and get the assistance she needs. Caregivers come to her, helping her with whatever she needs during their time with her. These can be activities like light household tasks, reminders to take medications, meal preparation, or helping with bathing or transportation. Care is personalized for your senior, and she doesn’t have to wait for caregivers to finish helping someone else. Your elderly family member may need a lot of assistance and still benefit from in-home care coming to her.
Assisted Living Is Help Your Senior Receives in a Special Community
With assisted living, your aging family member may need a little help or a lot of help. But she receives that assistance in an assisted living community. This is usually set up like an apartment-style living situation. Assisted living also means your aging family member doesn’t have dedicated caregivers helping just her. There are other residents who also need help, and your aging family member may need to wait for assistance. This type of care can be helpful if your senior has many medical needs, because care is available around the clock.
What Does Your Senior Want at This Stage of Her Life?
Is your elderly family member determined to age in place in her own home for as long as possible? If so, that may help you determine which type of care might be the best option for your senior. Lots of families put off these conversations until it’s almost too late, but if you and your senior can sit down and talk through what she wants now, you can better help her.
What Does Your Senior Truly Need?
Another factor to consider is what your senior’s needs are. Sitting down and putting a list together can be helpful. Once you have that list in front of you, it might be more obvious to you and your senior which type of care is the best solution. Keep in mind that her needs may change over time, so try to stay flexible with the solutions you’re putting in place now.
Making decisions about care plans is important, and it helps you considerably if you have your senior’s input as much as possible. Whether she is ready for in-home care now or wants to consider other options, having the conversation is the truly important part.
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