As one gets older, and experiences declining health, their families start weighing the options of going for facility care or remaining in their own home as they age. Statistics by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) indicate that 90 percent of aging individuals over the age of 65 prefer staying at home rather than moving to facility care. Some people may still be undecided. This article covers the benefits of aging in place.
A Familiar Environment
Home is where you feel safe and comfortable. Most everyone has an attachment to their own home, hence the phrase, “home is where the heart is.” The thought of leaving the comfort of home and going to an unfamiliar facility is both stressful and scary, especially to the elderly.
They may have to change their everyday routine to fit that of the foreign facility, including eating and sleeping times. They may no longer be able to engage in their favorite hobbies. By choosing to age in place, one maintains the familiarity of their home. Their private space.
Maintaining Independence
One of the best feelings in one’s lifetime is the feeling of independence – being able to do things their own way, without completely depending on anyone. Moving to a nursing home takes away one’s independence, as they may now have to follow scheduled routines.
The nursing staff also must split their time to tend to multiple residents. Moving to a facility, although convenient, sometimes leaves the residents with little to no control over their lives.
Cost
Aging in an assisted living facility is already expensive, but most families don’t realize that once their loved one’s condition deteriorates, they are sometimes required by the facility to hire an outside agency to provide one-on-one care for their loved one driving the costs even higher. Onsite caregivers can only dedicate a certain amount of time to each resident and deteriorating conditions like dementia progression or loss of mobility require more time than onsite caregivers have to give.
Choosing a reputable home health care agency is another option. Senior home care offers the ability for your loved one to age comfortably and safely at home when possible, by providing assistance with their activities of daily living. Allcare Home Health Agency caregivers offer gentle assistance with showering or bathing, dressing and grooming, toileting and incontinence care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and laundry. They may also transport or escort your loved one to appointments, errands, and social events. In addition to activities of daily living, Allcare Home Health offers skilled nursing services such as injections, IV Infusion, Ostomy and catheter care, wound care, and much more.
Maintaining Social Ties and Personal Connections
Staying close to a social network is extremely important to most seniors. Aging in place offers them the ability to continue seeing friends and family on a regular basis. Maintaining personal connections enables the elderly to experience better overall health, both physically and cognitively.
A Healthier Choice
Aging in place provides you with many benefits physically, psychologically, and emotionally. It is many times also a much safer and healthier option. Nursing homes or assisted living facilities may sometimes pose a health risk to the elderly. As we’ve seen during the recent pandemic, many people living in close proximity make it easier to spread disease and illness. Aging in the comfort and safety of home, when possible, can many times be a much healthier option.
Call Allcare Home Health Agency at (919) 301-0236 today and speak with our client care manager about allowing your loved one to age in place at home. Find out how Allcare offers peace of mind when the family of a senior is faced with one of the most important decisions in life.