Contact Safe Haven Health Care at
1-800-261-2443 or email info@safehaven healthcare.org to schedule a free consultation and assessment with one of our program managers.
IN-HOME CARE SERVICESAssisted Living or In-Home Care?
While we will gladly sit down and discuss your situation and needs and provide recommendation as to the best care option, here are some things to consider.
Ideally, we each want to live as independently as possible, but for each of us, advancing age and health issues eventually dictate some level of assistance. Family and friends can do much, but for many, professional care on some level is the best solution as the responsibilities of daily living become overwhelming.
If the individual needing care is still physically able to live in the home and meet the majority of their needs, then regularly-scheduled visits by care-providing professionals can fill in where help is needed with certain everyday tasks like health monitoring, taking medications, preparing meals, housekeeping, grooming, transporation, and vital companionship. With in-home care, the individual remains amid the comfort of personal surroundings and retain the continuity of their familiar daily routines. In-home care is an especially viable option for those recovering from sickness or illness and need a little extra help.
But there comes a point when level, frequency (and the expense) of needed care reach a tipping point, and moving into a full-time assisted living facility is the best thing. It's good to have the homework on selecting just such a facility is already done.
Assisted living residences are not nursing homes—but rather facilities with home-like atmospheres where residents enjoy as much independence as possible, while being under the watchful care of professional care providers 24/7. And as health deteriorates, the level of service can be ramped up to meet those additional needs. Residents enjoy private or semi-private rooms, share meals, activities, and common areas with other residents.
The key is to plan ahead. Families typically begin looking for assistantance options after an accident or some other incident. Better to anticipate the changing needs of your aging loved ones and have options in place so as to avoid a medical crisis. Each time you are with the individual, assess how they are doing - look for needs they are no longer meeting on their own. Consider their ability to move around safely. Consider emotional health and decision-making abilities. Are their stresses brought on by financial circumstances? Isolation? Frustration?
Also, plan ahead financially. Review the elder-care provisions and benefits provided by your private insurance policy. Determine the steps and understand the time-frames for seeking state assistance, if needed, by researching your options. Additionally, the local Area Agency on Aging provides a wealth of information as well as special programs for patients who do not qualify for Medicaid assistance.
Each case is different, but consider these factors:
—Cost. Weigh the level of care needed against having it provided in-home verses an assisted living solution.
—Social Isolation. For some, the emotional stress of isolation and loneliness compound the frustration of deteriorating health and functionality. Residence in the social environment of an assisted living facility may be the ideal situation for individuals who have a desire and preference for being around others much of the time.
—Fierce Independence. For others, the social aspects found in our assisted living residences holds no appeal. Such individuals are fiercely independent and will appreciate every effort to keep them living in their home for as long as financially and practically possible.
—Simplification of Lifestyle. A move into an assisted living facility is often the ideal solution for those who simply need to downsize the responsibilities and demands of their life. Less stuff, less responsibility, relief from chores, relief from the worries and hassels from managing and caring for a home and a yard.
Even after the appropriate level of care has been selected, things change. Sometimes quickly. Have backup plans and options in place and reevaluate regularly.
Please contact us to discuss your specific needs and concerns - we're here to help.
