Home Care vs. Assisted Living – Making the Right Choice

Last Updated on January 5, 2024 by Rachel

Is your loved one finding it difficult to help themselves physically? Deciding to receive proper care at your home or move into an assisted living retirement home can be difficult. If you need support with some daily activities of daily living such as bathing, cooking, and eating, you may want to use home care services to avoid moving into assisted living. But it may come a time where assisted living is the best option. In this article, we are going to discuss the differences between home care and assisted living care services and what to consider when choosing between the two. Happy reading.

Home Care for Seniors

You want to stay at your home because it’s where you can create a life for yourself, right? You want to maintain your daily routine and probably sleep in your bed. Well, if that is all you need, then, you can’t miss out if you chose home care services. You get to remain in your home while the caregivers and health care professionals attend to you right there. Your needs will determine how long they can stay around. They will support you with the activities of daily living, such as bathing, grooming, and eating. Other services include medication support, companionship, meal preparation, transportation services, and assistance with hygiene. Options for in-home care vary depending on your needs and health conditions. They include licensed medical professional care, non-medical paraprofessional care, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s home care. For seniors in need of certain medical attention like therapy or daily shots, you will need a licensed medical professional care, with physicians, nurses, and therapists are the professionals who will attend to you. For those in need of help with activities of daily living, seek non-medical paraprofessionals. Suffering from Dementia? Then you may need 24-hour care, especially if you are in the late stages of the disease from Dementia home care services. Alzheimer’s home care services are offered to elderly persons suffering from the disease, and it involves full-time memory care.

Assisted Living – Caring for Seniors Away from Home

Now, instead of bringing the care services to your home, you will go to the caregiver. Facilities offering assisted living services may provide you with a private or shared room, with amenities, including a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Here, you will get the personal assistance you need to achieve good physical and mental health. Caregivers in these facilities will help seniors with housekeeping, physical therapy, meal preparation, medication support, bathing, grooming, and transportation. It’s not a must to receive all these services. It always depends on your level of need. Don’t confuse assisted living with a nursing home. They have similarities but that doesn’t mean all their care services are the same. Nursing involves 24-hour supervision and medical treatment.

The Differences Between Assisted Living and Home Care

• Cost

The amount of cash you will spend for both assisted living and home care will depend on your needs. You may think that home care is the cheaper option. Note that this is not always the case. It can be a cheaper option, yes. But only when a family member is involved as the primary caregiver. Otherwise, assisted living is cheaper when it comes to providing full-time care for seniors. Prices for assisted living care ranges from $2,000 to 5,000 per month. Home full-time care costs $0-$40 per hour, depending on the services provided, insurance, location, and veteran’s benefits. If you need at least 44 hours of help in a week, then you will pay more. The average cost of full-time home care is $3,813 per month.

• Social Opportunities

Staying alone exposes you to social isolation, stress, loneliness, and depression. It is a good thing that both assisted living and home care can help in providing social opportunities. Although, the degree of socializing in both settings differs. Of course, you have your friends and family nearby when you chose home care services. But you don’t have a chance to make new friends at your home, do you? Yes, you can socialize by chatting with your family but when will you get a chance to learn new things or meet new people? In an assisted living setting, you get to interact with your peers and make new friends. You can even learn new skills and develop new experiences, something important for the aged persons.

• Convenience

In-home care is very convenient and this makes a better option for seniors looking to stay and maintain their routine. With home care services, you don’t follow any set of rules. You get to lay down on your bed. No one has to move anywhere unless you need. This is a different case with assisted living facilities. You have to follow certain rules, like not coming in with pets, among other rules.

• Safety

The level of safety in assisted living facilities is higher than in-home care because you get to access all the services you need. Health care professionals, including nurses, therapists, and other service providers who help with daily activities are always there. In-home care may lack all the services because the providers come to your home. If you need help with something, you may have to reach out before it is brought to you.

Which is the Right Option for You

There is no always a better option. It all depends on your abilities, needs, and preferences. Each family will consider their situation before they can decide which option suits their loved one. When considering the right option for your situation consider the following:

• Do you have all the support you need?
• Access to Services as needed. Will you be able to access all the services as you need them?
• Opportunities to socialize. Are you able to create and maintain connections? Do you want to make new friends or maintain the ones you have? It all depends on your social needs.
• Financial situation. You have to consider your financial situation. Look at the cost of the services you need in both settings and decide which one you can afford.