7 Reasons You Should Choose Home Care over Nursing Homes

When it is time to make a decision about helping an elderly loved one, it is often an emotional experience. You know that your older loved ones aren’t physically capable of taking care of themselves and you need to do something about it. Traditionally, nursing homes have offered a solution to this problem but it comes with many challenges and downsides that you don’t want your elderly relative to live through. Fortunately, viable alternatives to nursing homes are not only accessible but have become increasingly affordable in the most recent years. Live-in home care is one of those effective solutions that ensure exceptional care in the comfort of your loved one’s home.

What is Live-In Care

In a live-in care arrangement, a dedicated caregiver will move into your relative’s home to provide 24/7 one-on-one support. What this means for the elderly individual is that they can continue to reside in the home they love while having a person who can fulfill their needs round the clock. All you need to provide is a spare room for the caregiver so they can be comfortable. We have a long article about what is live-in care

However, you need to remember that as the situation develops, the condition of your loved one might deteriorate over time requiring you to modify the home. This may involve the installation of ramps, handrails, and other accessibility features. This will ensure that your elderly relative can continue to enjoy their mobility and independence. Here are 7 reasons why you should seriously consider live-in care for your loved ones instead of putting them in a home.

Benefits of Live-In Care

Every Caregiver is a Qualified Professional

When you hire someone to take care of your loved one at their place, you are not taking any risks. An overwhelming majority of the caregivers are uniquely qualified to provide a high level of support that aligns with the distinct needs and requirements of your loved ones. Most of the time you don’t even need to vet the individual as the agency providing live-in care services already does that on your behalf.

All you have to do is provide them with your requirements and expectations and the agency will find a suitable live-in caregiver for your loved one.

Loved Ones Stay in the Same Home and Environment

If you have an elderly individual at home, you know how emotionally attached they are to their place of residence and their routines. When you place them in a nursing home, their world turns upside down as they are no longer close to the place they love and have to abide by the rules set by someone else. With live-in care that’s not a problem at all.

While you may need to modify your home such as the installation of ramps and railings to facilitate mobility, elderly people can enjoy the rest of their lives at a place they call home. This gives them self-belief and confidence as they feel happier and more satisfied in the comfort of their own homes.

Home Care is More Affordable As Compared to Nursing Homes

If you are looking to provide a high level of care to your elderly parents or grandparents, you will have to pay a steep price for that. Nursing homes usually commit to a basic level of caregiving and require you to pay additional charges to meet the unique needs of your loved ones. Apart from that, elderly people have to deal with different caretakers all the time which can be quite disconcerting for them.

With live-in care, the situation is exactly the opposite. You can hire a dedicated caregiver for your elderly relatives without having to pay an exorbitant amount in the way of expenses.

Home Care – No Restrictions on Your Loved One’s Independence & Mobility

One of the major drawbacks of placing your elderly relatives in a nursing home is that it takes away their independence and freedom of mobility. They have no choice but to adhere to the rules and regulations of the home which can have an impact on their confidence as well as their quality of life. When they are forced to stick to a pre-determined schedule, life can become monotonous and boring.

On the other hand, live-in care doesn’t take anything away from your loved ones. They can make the choices for themselves and the hired caregiver is always there to help them out. This means that with live-in care, elderly people get a higher quality of life.

Better Focus on Emotional Needs

Nursing homes are designed to be strictly utilitarian and functional. It means that they are more focused on taking care of the basic needs of the individual such as providing accommodation, feeding them on time, and ensuring the elderly take their medications on time. However, as human beings, we all need emotional support which is often absent in nursing homes.

With live-in care, you don’t only get a helping hand but an empathetic individual who is there to take care of all types of needs including providing emotional support whenever required.

24/7 One-On-One Companionship

In nursing homes, your elderly loved ones hardly ever get personalised care. There are different caregivers in different time slots who are rotated on a regular basis. What this means for an elderly person is they cannot develop an emotional bond or connection with the people tasked with taking care of them.

In a live-in care arrangement, your elderly relative spends their time with the same caregiver which allows them to have companionship.

Allows Families & Couples to Stay Together

One of the major benefits of live-in care is that it allows families and couples to stay together. When someone is placed in a nursing home, they become isolated and the family or the spouse have to go out of their way to maintain regular communication. Sometimes the nursing homes are too far away for people to visit which results in loneliness.

Live-in care allows an elderly couple to stay together while ensuring that family can come over to visit any time they want. There is a higher sense of normalcy which the elderly appreciate.