As the adult child of an aging parent, you know how important it is to keep tabs on mom or dad so you know whether the time has come for more intensive daily care and supervision. For example, have you seen changes in dad's ability to get around his home safely? Has he fallen recently? Is mom's normally-impeccable dress habits and hygiene starting to slip? Are you or other caregivers becoming exhausted and burned out by the stress of watching over mom and dad? If you answer 'yes', then it may be time to investigate senior care options.
Two common types of care for seniors are assisted living and home care:
Assisted Living
Assisted Living (AL) is a dynamic type of community living. Residents in assisted living communities are typically engaged and active but may require some assistance with activities of daily living, or ADLs. (See our blogs about ADLs ) If mom can manage most of her daily routine herself and doesn’t require 24/7 care and monitoring, just infrequent help, then she is a perfect candidate for assisted living. A high-quality AL community will provide a private room or a comfortable apartment. When you're touring AL centers, ask if they allow mom to bring her own furniture and accessories so she can make her new home look like her familiar family home.
Residents can be as engaged or independent as they wish. Dad may be a social and outgoing person who wants to take advantage of the many activities that a good assisted living community will offer, including field trips to interesting community events. On the other hand, if dad is a reserved man, staff are carefully trained to acknowledge and respect his need for privacy and will help facilitate his autonomy. Either way, take comfort in the fact that while he may not always need or want help, it's right there for him when he does. Services available include:
One of the most important distinctions between assisted living and home care services is the availability of an activity program. Lots of studies looking at senior well-being have concluded that activities are a major social and emotional outlet for seniors and add significantly to mom or dad's physical and mental well-being. Conversely, when a senior is receiving home care service, there are minimal or no regular social activities provided.
Home Care Services
Home care is a form of senior care for loved ones who need help with ADLs but want to try and remain in their own family home. Care is typically paid for on an hourly basis, and can actually end up costing more on an annual basis than assisted living if home care is provided each day. Home care services range from help with simple housekeeping such as laundry and cleaning, more intensive medical and personal care assistance, or adult day care. The latter type of care is a sort of hybrid between home care and community living; seniors go to an adult day care center where they are supervised and have access to limited social activities.
If you're thinking about assisted living for your mom or dad, take a look at our excellent communities. What factors were most important to you in choosing senior care?
