Submitted by: Kevin Bush

As America’s population ages, more and more people are faced with having to provide services such as in home care for their parents and grandparents. Caring for those who helped us grow into the people that we have become is an important and often difficult duty. When it becomes clear that an elderly loved one can no longer care for themselves or maintain their home on their own, part-time or even round-the-clock care is a logical and necessary next step. In order to provide the best care for your loved ones with the least disruption to their lives, it’s a good idea to consider both in home care and assisted living solutions. Depending on your preferences and the level of care needed, either of these options could significantly benefit your family.

In Home Care

According to the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, nearly 7.6 million Americans receive in home care at least some of the time. In home care is often the first choice made by many families. Many elderly people prefer to remain in their homes for as long as possible, and with good reason! We spend our whole lives organizing our homes to our liking and amass large collections of belongings, not to mention a lifetime of memories. Leaving all of this behind to move into an assisted living facility can be emotionally jarring. If your loved ones are living with dementia, this transition becomes even more difficult, as familiar people and places often help those suffering with dementia to cope. In home care can be a god-send for these folks.

In home care can be as logistically simple as scheduling family life to ensure that a family member is always home with grandma or grandpa, but for many busy families, this is tough to manage, and can put a lot of undue responsibility on younger family members. Most families considering in home care hire a home care aide or a nurse at least part time. These trained professionals ensure that the needs of your loved one are met, help them with daily tasks, and take some of the burden off of the family. Having a professional take over the in home care responsibilities for even just one or two days a week can be a wonderful stress reliever. Though sometimes expensive, in home care often costs significantly less than assisted living. Ultimately, in home care is preferred by many elders.

Assisted Living

There are many reasons to choose assisted living over in home care for your loved ones, and more than 900,000 people call assisted living facilities home, according to the National Center for Assisted Living. For some, scheduling and professional obligations make it impossible to provide around-the-clock care at home. Others simply can’t keep up with the effort and expense of home maintenance and upkeep. In some cases, grandma or grandpa live alone in a home intended to house a large family, and they simply don’t need the space anymore. In any of these cases, assisted living presents a solution.

In most assisted living facilities, residents have their own apartments, and are able to live as independently as they could at home, but with the increased safety and security of having 24-hour trained staff on-hand just a few steps away. With assisted living, trash, snow removal, and other maintenance is taken care of, and doesn’t burden the elders or their families. As a resident’s needs increase, the level of care provided can increase as well, without having to relocate. Assisted living staff can assist with medications, provide meals, and assist with day-to-day tasks, all in a home-like environment. For many elderly people, this is a wonderful alternative to a nursing home, providing much more privacy and independence.

Choosing in home care vs. assisted living for your parents or grandparents is an incredibly personal decision, and there is no one correct answer. In the end, your choice will be as individual as your loved one, and you will be secure in the knowledge that your family member is being well cared for.

About the Author: Click here to speak to an expert senior care specialist at Pittsburgh Senior Care. Click here for the orginal source of this article:

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