Why is nursing care/assisted living preferable to live-in caregivers?
I would like to learn why people choose to go into a nursing home instead hiring a caregiver and staying in home. I would like to learn advantages and disadvantages of both.
Probably the number one reason is cost. Nursing homes are tremendously expensive, but full-time caregiving in a private home is even more so. Add in food costs and property taxes and home insurance and all the costs of maintaining a home that are included in the nursing home costs and NH costs suddenly don't seem so high.
Another advantage of a nursing home is the availability of various skills, such as nursing, social work, activity director, doctor, various therapists.
A nursing home has the availability of specialized equipment. There are also multiple people available to assist as needed.
Some people benefit from socializing with their peers in a NH. Some people benefit from the activities available, exercise programs, etc. (Other people do not seem to get much out of this, but it is available.)
Some people have no family to advocate for them, arrange for, pay, and supervise a caregiver. One of my aunts was able to stay in her home with around-the-clock care arranged by her daughter. No way would the dear woman have been able to arrange that herself! She had dementia but no health needs that required nursing care, and fortunately she had a fair amount of money. Even with those advantages she eventually wound up in a care center.
The advantage of staying home with in-home care is that it is comforting, familiar, and often preferred by the patient.
Staying home may continue interaction with neighbors and friends. (This is often not the case when elders have outlived many of their neighbors and there is no family near by.)
I would very much like to stay in my own home, and have whatever care I need brought to me. I know that realistically that will probably not be something I can afford (even with my long term care policy) if the care I need exceeds a certain level.
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Another advantage of a nursing home is the availability of various skills, such as nursing, social work, activity director, doctor, various therapists.
A nursing home has the availability of specialized equipment. There are also multiple people available to assist as needed.
Some people benefit from socializing with their peers in a NH. Some people benefit from the activities available, exercise programs, etc. (Other people do not seem to get much out of this, but it is available.)
Some people have no family to advocate for them, arrange for, pay, and supervise a caregiver. One of my aunts was able to stay in her home with around-the-clock care arranged by her daughter. No way would the dear woman have been able to arrange that herself! She had dementia but no health needs that required nursing care, and fortunately she had a fair amount of money. Even with those advantages she eventually wound up in a care center.
The advantage of staying home with in-home care is that it is comforting, familiar, and often preferred by the patient.
Staying home may continue interaction with neighbors and friends. (This is often not the case when elders have outlived many of their neighbors and there is no family near by.)
I would very much like to stay in my own home, and have whatever care I need brought to me. I know that realistically that will probably not be something I can afford (even with my long term care policy) if the care I need exceeds a certain level.