The Benefits of Senior Living Communities vs. In-Home Care
With senior care comes a unique set of terms and distinctions that can be confusing for older adults and their families. Aging in place. Home care vs. nursing home. Continuum of care. Community care vs. home care. When weighing all these options, what’s the best fit for your retirement lifestyle?
Previous generations of seniors were limited in their options and only needed to weigh the benefits of home care vs. a nursing home. These days, however, there are several factors to consider: social, health, mobility, finances, physical challenges, safety and home maintenance.
While aging in place may seem like the most obvious choice for senior care, that’s not always the case. Home care typically has higher costs and can be a burden on family members living in the home who aren’t receiving care.
Today’s senior living communities, on the other hand, offer maintenance-free living, along with 24/7 access to medical care, a continuum of on-site health services, socialization, multiple dining venues and in-house cultural and education opportunities.
In this blog, we’ll explore several scenarios that may indicate you or your loved one is better suited to live and receive care in a retirement community instead of staying in their current home.
Healthy seniors living alone
Many seniors have flourishing daily lives and fill their days with purpose and new possibilities. Living in an independent senior living community makes all this easier, especially when you’re surrounded by first-rate amenities and services that make retirement feel like an extended vacation.
Rather than wrestle with responsibilities associated with maintaining a home, older adults are opting to downsize and simplify their lives. Senior living benefits include many services and amenities you wouldn’t likely have access to at home:
- Multiple dining options — fine dining, bistros, bars and markets
- Private dining room and wine grotto
- Performing arts center and movie theater
- Fitness center and indoor heated pool
- Putting green
- Salon, spa and barbershop
- Creative arts studio
- Library
- Billiard room
- Greenhouse and herb garden
- Guest suites
- Interior and exterior maintenance
- Paid utilities
- Grounds patrolled by a security officer
- 24/7 concierge service and emergency call system
- Town car and coach transportation
- Move-in coordination
- Underground valet parking
- Housekeeping and linen laundry service
Seniors with health challenges
Fortunately, today’s seniors no longer have to make decisions based only on home care vs. nursing home. When confronted with significant physical challenges, the health and support services you’ll receive in a senior living community are typically more comprehensive and tailored than what you’d receive through home care. This complete care can also give your loved ones peace of mind about your health, safety and quality of life.
Assisted living: Support services to help with activities of daily living.
In senior living communities, registered nurses and licensed practical nurses work directly with residents, their families and physicians to create responsive care plans. When you move to senior living, you become part of that community, build social circles and develop routines. Other community offerings include:
- 24/7 licensed care and emergency response system
- Medication monitoring and administration
- Access to rehabilitative services (speech, occupational and physical therapies)
- Pain and wound care management
- Therapeutic diets
- Wellness programming, including health education and fitness plans
- State-of-the-art equipment and treatment programs
- Private rooms
- Scheduled transportation
- Planned social functions
Seniors who have complicated health needs
When health and physical ailments require more involved or 24-hour care, staying at home can be costly and overwhelming for caregivers and other family members living in the home. A better option is the guaranteed priority lifetime access to therapy and rehab, assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing care that’s only offered in a senior living community.
There, nursing professionals and doctors can provide far higher levels of services and expertise than what’s offered through home care. Under the direction of a licensed physician, they can assist with wound care, memory care, IV insertions, special diets, feeding tubes, injections and medication administration. Other senior living benefits include on-campus access to lifelong care and specialized programs and services, such as:
1. Skilled Nursing:
Personalized, licensed medical care and supervision.
A benefit of receiving care in a senior living community rather than at home is access to Medicare-certified and 24-hour licensed care. Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses work directly with residents, their families and physicians to create comprehensive care plans. Many communities also offer:
- Daily housekeeping and laundry
- Scheduled transportation
- Pain and wound care management
- Therapeutic diets
- Wellness programming, including health education and fitness plans
- State-of-the-art equipment and treatment programs
- 24/7 emergency response system
- Medication monitoring and administration
- Short-term and long-term care
- Planned social functions
2. Rehabilitation:
Therapies provided on a short- and long-term basis.
The road to recovery following surgery or a hospital visit begins with customized and effective therapy regimens and access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment you likely won’t have with in-home care.
In a senior living community, you’ll receive a comprehensive mix of physical, occupational, cognitive and speech therapies. Professional health teams provide a myriad of treatments for ongoing care and post-acute recovery. They’re designed to help you regain a maximum level of independence and reduce your chances of hospital readmission.
3. Memory Care:
Care for those living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
In a senior living community, certified team members work with individuals and their families to tackle the challenges that come with Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Private suites in communities create a familiar home environment, with programming that encourages positive and stimulating engagement.
Another edge senior living has over home care is access to new memory care technology, programming and techniques that support a calm and comforting environment, such as:
• MUSIC & MEMORY®: Custom, personally curated playlists to enliven seniors’ spirits and tap into deep, heartfelt memories.
• It’s Never 2 Late (iN2L): Technology and programming to stimulate seniors’ positive memories, creating meaningful engagement with the ability to nurture a calm environment.
• Therapy dolls to calm and soothe seniors by giving them a sense of purpose.
• Robotic animal companions that provide comfort and increased interaction.
In weighing the benefits of home care vs. a nursing home, you may have some additional questions. We invite you to learn more about retiring in Preston Hollow or what you can expect from Edgemere’s luxury senior living community. Ready to speak directly to one of our team members? Give us a call at 214-865-7520 or contact us.