Home Care for Elderly in their Own Homes – 5 benefits of choosing Home Care

If you are considering home care for the seniors in their own homes, there are some things to remember that will help ensure that your family member is healthy, safe, and happy. Understanding these factors can help you make the right decisions for your loved one to get the care they need in a safe and comfortable environment. It is true that most, if not all, seniors would opt for home care to live at their own home. That is mostly because this sort of arrangement gives them the kind of freedom, flexibility & independence to which they have grown accustomed.

More & more seniors are opting out of assisted living communities & choosing to stay in their own homes – Find out why below:

Where and how you want to grow old are questions many people avoid asking themselves before they absolutely have to. However, the growing percentage of the population reaching retirement age is facing these questions head-on, and their answers are changing the landscape of aged care. Research by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) reveals that 90% of seniors plan to continue living in their own homes as they grow older. Oftentimes these seniors’ loved ones worry whether this is the best place for them to spend their twilight years but, in many cases, it truly is. Here are 5 reasons that home is actually the best place to grow old:

1. Retaining dignity and independence

From the time we’re born we strive to achieve a higher level of independence. We celebrate milestones from the first time we take a step to the first time we drive a car, and everything in between. Often for older adults, aging can feel like slipping backwards and losing the independence that was earned and enjoyed throughout life. Choosing home care allows seniors to stay in control of their lives as they age, remaining active and engaged in the community, setting their own schedules, continuing favorite activities and retaining a healthy sense of dignity and worth.

2. Safety first

The concern that home doesn’t offer the same level of support as an assisted living facility is widespread and understandable, but what many people don’t realize is that staying home is, in many cases, the safer option. Not only can trained in-home caregivers help to ensure that home is as safe as possible, but living at home eliminates a lot of the risks associated with group-living facilities. With age, people’s immune systems begin to weaken and infection becomes a more serious risk. Assisted living communities are an ideal environment for propagation of nasty germs, exposing residents to disease and sickness that would be easily avoided in other environments. As long as home can be outfitted with the necessary technology, aging at home is the healthier option.

3. The comforts of home

There is definitely something to be said for the joy of sleeping in your own bed and spending your days in a familiar environment. As we age, we lose the ability to adapt quickly, so a change as drastic as moving house late in life can be traumatic and disorienting. It just doesn’t make sense to leave home, parting with treasured possessions collected over a lifetime and having to get used to a whole new environment and way of living. There truly is no place like home.

4. Surprising affordability

While it may seem that personalized care in the comfort of your own home would come with a hefty price tag, the monthly cost of in-home care is, on average, 20% less than that of a nursing home. Caregivers can be hired for specific hours or tasks, meaning that the senior gets exactly what they need without paying for anything they don’t. A good guideline is that anything up to eight hours per day of home care will generally be less expensive than care in a facility.

5. Personalized care

The staff at overcrowded facilities is often stretched thin caring for many people with different abilities and needs, and things easily fall through the cracks. Everything from the level of cleanliness to the amount and quality of individual attention can suffer. By hiring someone for one-on-one care a senior gets individualized services based on their needs and preferences.

Rx HealthCare Services is Sacramento’s choice for at-home aging

RX HealthCare Services has provided exceptional quality home care to the greater Sacramento area for over 25 years. We will be overjoyed to help ensure that the latter years of life for you or your loved ones are truly golden.

For more information download our FREE guide to in-home care.