We all age and there comes a time in our lives where our aged loved ones need outside help even for day to day living. In such cases, the help of caregivers is necessary so that the senior citizens can live only with the assistance of such in-home care professionals. Once an aged person requires constant attention and assistance then it is better to move him into a 24 hours home care with the help of the right home healthcare agencies near me. In the present times we have a variety of in-home health care services available everywhere and hence moving to a nursing home for long-term assisted living is not necessary. Below you are able to determine the cost of care for your choice.
With a good senior caregiver service, it is possible to give the senior person the care and attention he needs in the home itself. The home care services professionals with their high degree of motivation, professional training, and service attitude can make the seniors more comfortable and more healthy at the fraction of the cost of giving the same type of medical care and assisted living conditions in the home itself.
You have to consider various factors before deciding what is the best place for your aging loved one to live like their:
- Health condition,
- Personal preferences,
- The proximity of family members.
- The type of professional care needed
- Limited attention for a few hours per day or round-the-clock assistance
- Range of support available nearby,
- Other accommodation options,
- The status of your loved one’s homeownership
- Type of rental agreement in force etc
And, above all the financial condition and the type and quantity of financial resources and arrangements available to them also will decide which type of care will be best suited for them.
Though it is always ideal for your aged loved one to stay in your home with all the possible in-home healthcare services available now, some situations may make the home care, not so an ideal option. In such cases moving them to a nursing home or a convalescent home may be a better option.
A prolonged stay in any nursing home is going to be very expensive and prohibitively costlier in the present times, it is always best to find the right home health care agencies near me and set up the right home care facilities at home and you can take care of your aged loved one in a better way than leaving them in a nursing home. The present-day assisted living facilities may appear to be a better option, but they are also more costly like admitting them in a nursing home.
When cost becomes a major deciding factor in giving care to your aging relation, you need to consider all the available options based on the cost involved in each of the senior caregiver services. Long-term insurance plans like Medicare may be helpful but finding the most effective senior care service is necessary.
Thus, the nursing homes that are very expensive stand at the top of the costing scale, while the assisted living facilities with basic medical care come next at the costing level. This will remain a good option only if the person requiring care only needs basic medical care. If there is a necessity for 24-hour medical attendance or advanced treatment routines this option will also become very costly.
Another option is to go for in-home health care with the help of a home care medical, senior caregiver service and this will be the most economical way of taking care of your aged loved ones.
When the situation has come that the seniors or your loved ones need some outside help for their daily routine, you have to decide whether you want to keep them in-home care or move to a nursing home. Taking this big decision is not easy especially if the seniors don’t want to leave their home and deprive themselves of the socialization for getting 24/7 access to medical care and services they can get in a nursing home.
There are differences between in-home health care and nursing homes, there are pros and cons of each, and they must be considered about the situations on hand and the type and level of assistance and medical help needed to the senior person.
The decision to move to a nursing home will depend on the nature and type of care required daily. If there is a need for:
- Full-time help with daily activities,
- Constant medical reminders
- Assistance with bills and finances
- Recovering from severe trauma or injury
- Suffering from dementia
You may have to opt for going to a nursing home. But on the other hand, if the need is not so rigorous and needs only basic help with daily routine or just need a companion for assistance in the daily activities then the best option would be to go for in-home care through well-trained caregivers.
But on the other hand, if there is a need for planned meals, on-site health care the decision to go for a nursing home depends more on the level of amenities needed before taking the final decision regarding whether to remain in the home with a good 24 hours home care or to go for nursing home and be ready to spend more amounts for taking care of your loved one.
What you can expect from a Nursing Home Care
When you have to move your loved one to a convalescent home you can get more than the basic care that cannot usually be handled in in-home health care. You can get around the clock medical care and assistance for patients in a residential setting. There will be more facilities for all personal care needs, providing meals, doing laundry, and ready availability of skilled medical care and therapies whenever needed. There will be no mobility issues as the senior person will be staying in the facility.
Due to all these the nursing home care is the best option for those seniors who cannot be taken care of even in an in-home 24 hours home care. This will completely avoid the caregiver stress and the person will be taken care of by the nursing home and the facilities provided therein though at a higher cost requirement. The senior person will not have the comfort of living with his family in his home and will be confined to the nursing home and this may lead to stress and bring down the quality of life of the elderly person even if you are ready to spend more on his care and attention.
Most of the modern-day nursing homes offering long term assisted living offer their services as convalescent homes and accommodate the seniors in semi-private and private rooms, these are preferred for the amenities in nursing homes vs home care, for the regular in-house activities to engage them with crafts, games, and fitness. They arrange for outings for shopping and entertainment with transportation facilities. Advanced memory care services for patients with Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease and other types of chronic health problems. They also assist those with severe mobility issues and those suffering from serious injuries.
What to expect with in an In-home Caregiver
In-home care options are good for those who need only limited assistance and these are available as per the needs of the person starting from a few hours per week to 24/7 care. Mostly a 44 hours/week of in-house home care is very common, as all-day care in the home can be expensive. But this is preferred by many seniors as they can remain in their own home with all its comforts and the in-home health care can be arranged with daily activities for
hygiene, meal preparation, transportation, medication reminders, general housekeeping, and the worker stays as little or long as needed for providing the required level of companionship and assistance.
In-home care medical, nursing professionals like nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, doctors, and others can come to your home and provide services. There is a possibility of getting specialized services for those affected by dementia and other memory-related disabilities.
In-home health care is preferred mostly for enjoying the freedom of being in their own home and it adds to the quality of life and happiness. In in-home care, the seniors have up to 50% lesser doctor’s visits annually. There are many easy ways to find the right in-home care, and families can decide to get an in-home caregiver privately or to hire a caregiver through a senior caregiver service. When you go through the agency all the leg work from finding suitable candidates to running all the background checks will be done by the agency.
Cost of senior care in Nursing Homes vs In-Home Health Care
The cost of senior care in a nursing home or in-home care vary depending on the number of factors like
- Location
- Type of care needed
- The level of care that is required
The average cost of these different types of eldercare varies vastly between states, depending on the cost of living in the region. Generally, home care is always less expensive except in special cases where there is a need for 24-hour care or for offering specialized advanced treatments for prolonged periods.
As per the present-day standards prevailing in 2020 on an average, a nursing home costs around $225 daily for a semi-private room and $253 for a private room, and as such the monthly charges come to $6,844 to $7,698 for semi-private and private rooms respectively. So, the annual costs come in the range of $82,128 to $92,376 for full-time nursing home care. In addition to this, there will be other expenses for dementia, memory care, or other special services offered.
Cost of In-Home Care
The cost of in-home care depends more on the type of caregiver you are appointing and the qualifications and capabilities you want in them while offering their services.
While selecting an in-home health care professional if you go for a non-medical paraprofessional with general housekeeping and companionship the service charges will be in the range of $20.50 per hour, or $164 daily. This comes to $4,920 monthly and $59,040 annually for a person offering 40-44 hours of in-home health care per week.
If you go for skilled medical care professionals who can provide more intensive services like medication administration, wound care, physical therapy, catheter care, intravenous needs the average costs will come to $220 daily or $6,600 per month and $79,200 annually. You have to add 10- 15% as service charges for the senior caregiver service agencies. But there are many resources to find the right in-home health care person by searching online for home health care agencies near me.
As per the prevailing statistics and costing factors keeping the aged persons in home care environment is the better option. This will help you save money and the hassles associated with moving the elder person to a nursing home and keeping him confined to his bed for long periods of time. This can be considered if the person needs an active 24 hours medical attention or seriously ill with ailments that need prolonged treatments in a specialty medical center.
Otherwise keeping them in-home care with required level of care and assistance with active involvement of family members the elder loved one will be more pleased to stay in your
home. Most of the times it may not be necessary to spend so much amount when the same level of care and attention can be given through a good in-home health care service.
Thus, the amount you will be spending for a nursing home will be more than that of in-home healthcare professionals for taking care of your aging loved ones. By opting for an in-home health care service you will be able to save more money and give the elder person the comfort he needs and allow him the company of family and friends.
