Home Care or Assisted Living: What’s Right for Your Parents?

Mom or dad needs help, and it’s time to choose which senior care option is best. Ultimately, it’s a matter of preference when it comes to choosing between assisted living and home care, but you’ll still need to weigh the pros and cons of each.

Assisted Living

Assisted living is community living. It’s a community of seniors who want to live independently, yet require assistance with certain tasks. Such tasks could be dressing, bathing, meal preparation, or transportation. Facility staff are on hand throughout the day and night to assist the elderly with their needs. The type of housing will vary by the organization. It could be apartment-style or even subdivided homes.

In addition to housing and basic care, assisted living facilities offer a range of services. Housekeeping, laundry, limited on-site health care, 24-hour security, and social and recreational activities are some of the services that are typically available. The downside is that many of these services come at an additional expense as they are not included in the monthly cost.

Some of the disadvantages of assisted living are not so obvious. Even though assisted living facilities are designed for seniors who want to live independently, residents may feel that they don’t have much control over their schedule and activities. You should also consider that your parents might experience emotional stress because they feel separated from home and family.

In-Home Care

The majority of seniors want to live in their home for as long as possible. In-home care allows them to do that even if they have special care needs. Just like assisted living staff, in-home caretakers are able to assist elders with the basic tasks such as dressing, bathing, meal preparation, and so on. Most in-home care providers have levels of care that are divided into personal, home, and companionship services. Personal care covers only basic needs while home service deals with housekeeping. Companionship service deals more with organizing social and recreational activities in addition to basic care.

One of the advantages of home care service is that caretakers are available whenever you need them. Whether your loved one needs care in the day or night, caretakers can match your schedule. Home care providers can even look after a loved in an assisted living facility if he or she requires extra overnight care.

Some argue that seniors receiving home care may experience social isolation, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Home care services often include social and recreational activities, and caretakers can provide transportation and escort to various events.

Comforts of Home

If you are looking for in-home care in Conroe or the surrounding areas, Comforts of Home offers exceptional service at all three levels of care. Whether you need personal, home, or companionship service, give us a call at 936-483-9074 to get started today.