Nursing Home vs Home Health Care
Is your elderly loved one not able to perform their usual daily activities on their own anymore? They most likely require some kind of assistance in order to live out the rest of their life happily and in good health. One question that a lot of families are faced with is if their loved one should be placed in a nursing home or hire a home health care aide so they can continue to live in their own home. Which option you choose for your elder is completely up to you. It should be based on your loved one’s needs and wants.
What is Home Health Care?
This type of assisted living is allows your loved one to remain in their own home. How is that possible? Who will stay and make sure that they are safe? Anyone can be hired to remain in the home with your aging loved one. This includes family members, friends, or a professional home health aide.
Depending on your loved one’s needs, a home health aide might be the best option. They are trained and certified to take care of the elderly. They are not doctors and are not qualified to administer medicine. But, they can make sure that medication dosage is kept on a tight schedule. Also, they can make sure that your loved one’s daily household chores are taken care of. Those chores can range from cleaning and doing laundry, to bathing, grooming, and dressing your loved one.
But how can you be sure that your loved one is safe with a home health aide? Certified aging-in-place specialists may be consulted in order to schedule a visit. Those certified professionals can come to the home. They can assess it to make sure that it is safe for your aging loved one to live in.
Emergency buttons may also be worn around your elder’s neck. This button may be pressed in case of an emergency and an ambulance will arrive soon after it is pressed in an emergency situation.
Cameras may also be installed in the home to watch after not only your loved one, but also the caretaker that is tasked with handling your loved one’s daily needs. Depending on the needs of your elder loved one, home health care is a good option to consider when faced with the task of figuring out how to handle your loved one’s aging.
What are Nursing Homes?
If your elder loved one needs around-the-clock assistance and medical care then a nursing home is probably the best option for them. Nursing homes provide care 24/7 with trained staff and medical experts on call at all times. Meals are provided and specific dietary requirements are taken into consideration. The staff members are also required to take care of any laundry, cleaning, grooming, and other activities that the residents need. Nursing homes also have many amenities that come with being a resident, such as exercise facilities and social gatherings.
Differences From Home Health Care
Unlike with home health care, these types of facilities are able to provide a very high level of medical care to all residents, at all times. Also unlike with hired aides, most of the staff members of nursing homes are allowed to administer medications. That way, all doses are properly handled and given out at proper times.
Having a home health aide versus being put in a nursing home are two very different ways for your elderly loved one to live. If they need constant medical attention, then a special facility is most likely needed. If your elder just needs minimal assistance around the house, a home health aide could be enough. Home health aides are certainly less expensive than nursing homes and sometimes can make your loved one much happier because they do not have to up and move from the house that they know and have grown to love.
To find out what the best option for your loved one is very important to their well-being. Sit down and talk to your relative. You could even consult their doctor and see what their opinion is on the subject. It is imperative that the best option is chosen so your loved one may be happy and safe.