Completing daily tasks can get harder as seniors age. As bodies age, they get weaker, and moving around can be tricky. Family members often look for options for senior or elderly care and are overwhelmed with their choices. Over the last several years, the most popular choice has switched to in-home care rather than assisted living facilities or nursing homes. In-home care has many benefits that make it the best option for both seniors and their families. Here are five reasons why you should choose home-care for the senior in your life.
It preserves a sense of freedom.
The vast majority of seniors will tell you that they hope to age in place. This means that they want to stay in their home for as long as they can. These seniors have spent years in their homes, and they usually aren’t ready to give it up. Owning a home gives you a sense of freedom to do what you want when you want, and how you want. Seniors don’t want to give up this freedom just because they are struggling with certain tasks. When a new resident moves into an assisted living facility or a nursing home, they are much more likely to have to stick to a schedule. At home, they can live their days how they choose to. Getting older can be scary and disheartening for some, so it’s always a good idea to let them stay in control of as much as they can for as long as they can. Let them have the freedom they know in love in their own home and watch them stay happier and healthier.
They will be more comfortable in their own home.
In addition to a sense of freedom, seniors want to age in place to maintain their level of comfort. We all know that your home should be your happy place. You get to decorate it how you like, and no one can tell you otherwise. For seniors, this consistency can be very comforting. For those that are suffering from dementia or other memory conditions, it’s also extremely comfortable to know where everything is. If we ask you to tell us what cabinets your cups are in, you can probably tell us without a second thought. This muscle memory is extremely useful for dementia patients because they still know their own home enough to navigate around it. Caregivers will be there to help out if needed, but many things your elderly family member needs will be exactly where it’s been for decades. It’s much harder to forget something you’ve known for years than it is to forget something new. If you move a senior into a care facility when they have dementia, they won’t be familiar with their surroundings and can be frustrated or sad when they struggle to find clothes, kitchen items, etc. Facilities don’t always allow you to bring in furniture, so your senior could lose some of their physical comforts as well. In-home care avoids this and lets them live life as normally as they can.
You get to see them just like you always have.
One of the top reasons why families choose to hire in-home caregivers for elderly members is that it doesn’t disrupt anyone’s schedule. If your grandkids are used to visiting Grandma and Grandpa every weekend, you can keep up that tradition. A caregiver may pop in and out, but family time won’t be disrupted. You can visit their home just like you always have to chat, drop something off, enjoy dinner, or celebrate holidays. It can be very hard for seniors to leave everyone they know behind to move into a care facility and many actually experience symptoms of depression because of it. Keep them close to their neighbors, friends, and family by allowing them to age in place. B’Zoe caregivers will become another friend to both the senior and the whole family. We know how important a support system is, so we want to maintain that culture as much as we can.
The senior/caregiver relationship is stronger.
Speaking of our caregivers, your senior can develop a very close relationship with them. We make sure to do thorough background checks on every caregiver prior to hiring them. They are all highly trained and very client-focused. We like to match our caregivers with seniors we feel they will connect with to create the best relationship possible. We will schedule a consultation with the senior and any family members that would like to join so that we can ask you questions about their lifestyle and care needs. We have clients that love to go out on walks or hikes, as well as those that prefer to stay at home. We will match you with caregivers best suited for your senior’s needs. Because the senior/caregiver relationship is so carefully curated, we often see strong bonds grow between them. This is great for family members who feel comfortable knowing that their senior has a caregiver and a companion rolled into one. The caregiver taking care of your senior will remain consistent unlike care in assisted living facilities or nursing homes. They’ll absolutely love the one-on-one care and will tell you about their caregiver all the time!
You can save money.
In most circumstances, in-home care is significantly more affordable than other elderly care options. Of course, the price will change based on the number and type of services you require, but generally speaking, aging in place is more affordable. Your senior can still purchase their own food and prepare it, they don’t have to pay for room and board, and most of their bills will remain the same. The cost to you is much lower, making the situation less financially taxing on everyone. As your senior’s needs change, we can change their care plan accordingly. We work with our clients to bring top-notch care at a fair and reasonable price. Don’t worry about moving a senior out of their home until they really need to. Save money on movers, real estate agents, and more!
We hope these five reasons have convinced you to choose in-home care and aging in place for your senior. There are many other benefits, but these are the five our clients talk about the most. B’Zoe Home Care is a woman-owned elderly care company in Bellevue, Washington. We take pride in hiring only the most qualified caregivers in the area because we know how important proper senior care is to you. Give us a call at (206) 953-4900 to speak to our team today and schedule a consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!