If you’re the child of a senior mother or father, you’ve most likely listened to your loved one share their intention to continue living at home instead of moving to a long-term care facility. Most aging adults want to stay in their own homes as long as they can – for many different reasons. Home is the environment they’ve lovingly created, so it’s where they feel the most familiar and comfortable. Living at home also gives an aging adult’s life meaning and purpose. Something as simple as looking at your belongings, reading the newspaper, or relaxing on the front porch are more meaningful at home than in a facility because it is the home that creates the framework of life. The comforts of home offer a sense of serenity and privacy that can’t be substituted.
However, a lot of people, no matter their age, have a misconception that it’s inevitable that aging loved ones will eventually need to live in an assisted living facility or nursing home. Is it really an option to age safely and independently utilizing home care services? Actually, in-home senior care services can be a long-term, practical solution for many. Aging at home provides more than the benefit of familiar surroundings and independence from managed schedules. Based on Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey, home care can be a much more economical option as well.
To decide if an older family member might benefit from the help of senior care services at home as an alternative to making the significant decision to sell their home and move into a nursing home or assisted living facility, pay attention to the degree of functioning in the following two areas:
- Everyday Personal Activities: These activities are essential to taking care of oneself, such as bathing, getting dressed, getting in or out of a bed or a chair, using the restroom, eating and walking.
- Activities to Help Maintain Independence: These are activities that include meal planning and preparation, managing money (writing checks, paying bills), grocery shopping, managing a residence/taking care of housekeeping, properly taking medications, using a phone, taking care of mail and transportation by a personal vehicle or public transportation.
Do you need senior care services for an aging loved one? Heaven at Home Senior Care can help you understand your senior care options. Our experienced and fully trained staff provide you with an alternative to a nursing home or assisted living facility. If you need Argyle home health care or care in the nearby areas, contact us today online or at 940-380-0500 with any questions.