Assissted Living vs. Nursing home vs. Home care

Hello, Chealsea here With Solutions for senior’s podcast.

Before I get started today, I would like to thank Home Helpers of Bourbonnais for sponsoring solutions for seniors podcast. If you or your loved one are in the Kankakee or will county area call home helpers at 815-401-5527 for all your home care needs. You can also visit their website at www.homehelpershomecare.com/kankakee

This week I’m going to talk about how you help your aging loved one consider while choosing the best living situation for them. Before any decisions are made about where your aging loved one should live, you need to have an open conversation with them. You can start with what their ideal living situation is and where they see themselves long term. Once you know where they will be the happiest.

Choosing a place to live should be a two-sided conversation. First, consider the services your aging loved one needs and talk it over with them. You might not agree; for example, you might think that your aging loved one needs someone to prepare meals for them, but they might simply be tired of cooking after years of preparing meals for their family. Talking about needs helps ensure you don’t pay for unnecessary services and makes sure that they are having all of their care needs meant.

Types of assisted living services:

· Help with self-care

· Meals

· Transportation to doctor’s appointments

· Housekeeping

· Social activities

· Fitness classes or programs

· Emergency call system

· Medication monitoring

· Minor health care services

Types of nursing home services:

· All services provided at an assisted living facility

· Regular assessment by RNs or doctors

· Treatment for ongoing illnesses of all kinds

· Physical and occupational therapy

· Memory care for dementia patients

Types of in-home care services:

· Meal delivery

· Help with self-care

· Medication monitoring

· Minor health care services

· Medical alert system

· Periodic assessment by RNs

· Housekeeping

· Transportation

· Physical and occupational therapy

· Companionship

The services your aging loved one needs and the cost of getting those services might be among the most complex and important factors in deciding between aging in place and moving into an assisted living facility or nursing home. However, don’t forget the following considerations:

Your capabilities
Location
Community
Centralized services
The future

Whether you decide they should move into a care facility, move in with you or age in place, there are plenty of service providers to help you through the process. Once you have these services in place, your loved one can focus on being more social and enjoying their life.

Join me next week for another episode on a common challenge we face while helping our aging loved ones. Stay safe and well.