As you age and your needs begin to change, it’s natural to begin to wonder what type of care you need. If you’ve decided on professional care, you’re faced with two primary options: In-Home Care or a nursing home.
Both options will offer relief and support to you and your loved ones, but a nursing home may not give you the attention and focus you deserve. While you can’t put a pricetag on living a fulfilling and independent life, you will have to weigh pros and cons – and associated costs – of different care options. This article will help!
Freedom and Independence
You’re not alone if you want to stay in your home as you age. Nine out of ten Americans over the age of 50 feel the exact same way.
Staying in our home allows us freedom and independence – ideals that we shouldn’t lose because we’re getting older, and that can be maintained with the help of in-home care.
In-home caregivers provide you the freedom to choose how you want to spend each day. There are no rigid schedules, being forced to do what the group wants, meal plans, and most importantly, no visiting hours.
In-home care means spending time with your family whenever and however you want to. It’ll be how it’s always been – your kids, grandkids, and others can stop by anytime, with no worry about scheduling visiting times or signing in just to spend quality time with you.
One-on-One Attention
If you try to please everyone, you often end up pleasing no one. And unfortunately, a nursing homes often have a one-size-fits-all mentality.
With in-home care, all of the attention will be on you and specified to what you require at this stage of your life. There are a number of different in-Home Care that you can choose from:
- Companion Care provides emotional support and occasional help with errands getting to appointments
- Home Care takes care of chores and home upkeep
- Personal Home Care helps with day-to-day tasks from medication reminders to hygiene and safety supervision
- Memory Care is care geared toward those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s
Consistency And Flexibility
Would you rather have a consistent caregiver or one that can be flexible to your needs? With in-home care, you get both!
In-home care ensures you have the same person, or the same 2 or 3 if you need more hands-on care, coming into your home on a regular basis. Consistency is really important to help with things like remembering to take medications on time, eating healthy meals regularly and maintaining routines.
While in-home care is consistent, it’s also really flexible. Every day your caregiver will check in with you to gauge your mood, interest in various activities, and what would be most helpful for you today. Our caregivers at Golden Care have the autonomy to make sure each session with you is time well spent where you feel well supported and cared for.
We all struggle with different things as we age. The great thing about in-home care is that you can fully customize your game plan. By having the things that overwhelm you taken care of, you can focus your energy on what brings you peace and joy.
Improved Wellness
Here are a few examples of how a Personal Home Caregiver ensures you live a healthy lifestyle in old age.
Safety
Falls are the number one reason for ER visits for people over the age of 65. They can happen anywhere, and often happen doing activities we should probably have someone else perform. Having an in-home caregiver means having someone to help reach things, carry things, and do things around the house that might otherwise put your safety in jeopardy.
Maybe it’s using the stool to reach up for a top cabinet or carrying a box down the stairs, there’s no reason you should be putting yourself at risk (it’s also no secret things take a little longer to heal as we age). An in-home caregiver takes care of these tasks so you don’t put yourself in easily avoidable harm.
Making mistakes with medication is a huge safety issue for seniors as well. Having someone whose job is to make sure you’re staying on top of your meds can reduce a lot of errors when forgetting or misdosing medication.
Physical Wellness
If you’re cooking for one, it can be easy to fall into the trap of ordering out every night or sticking to microwaveable meals. Unfortunately, they don’t always provide the nutrition your body needs. A caregiver can make meals that keep an aging body healthy, all in the warmth and comfort of your own home.
Inactivity is another big risk to our health as we get older, and can even be a contributing factor to dementia. Having a caregiver that can work with you on a personal fitness plan and keep you engaged in fun activities leads to a higher quality of life as you get older.
Mental Wellness
An in-home caregiver can be vital to your personal happiness and mental well-being. Not only will the physical benefits listed above improve mental health, but having a companion you can connect with every day, or however often you need them, delivers emotional stability and reduces the risk of social isolation.
Having an in-home caregiver means they can take you to social functions and family events. There’s also the freedom of having friends and family over at your house.
The Cost For What You Need
It’s indisputable that in-home care can lead to a higher quality of life and give you the freedom of having the energy to put towards what matters. There’s no price that can be put on being able to see friends and family as often as possible.
The price of in-Home Care will vary depending on your preferences and needs. At Golden Care, we begin with a free consultation to create a customized care plan that’s right for you and your budget. We take pride in being the trusted source for San Diego’s in-home care needs and matching seniors with expert caregivers.
