Deciding on In-Home Care or Assisted Living for Your Senior
Do you have a loved one who is suffering from Alzheimer’s? More than 5 million Americans deal with this degenerative condition, so you’re not alone.
When your parent, grandparent, or another loved senior is managing this difficult disease, it can be hard to know what’s best for them.
Should you take care of them yourself? Should you hire an in-home caregiving service? Is assisted living the right answer? What are the best options for senior living near me?
Both in-home care and assisted living for seniors are valid and helpful options for the elderly loved one in your life, but how do you know which is right? We’re here to help. Keep reading to learn about the best options for your favorite senior living in Anchorage.
What Is In-Home Care?
When a loved one is no longer able to care for themselves as well as they’d like to, in-home care is one of the options that can help.
With in-home care, a qualified caregiver either stays with your loved one full-time or part-time in order to take the burden of housekeeping off, provide medical assistance, help with daily tasks, and keep the senior citizen safe.
Benefits of In-Home Care
For seniors without Alzheimer’s, in-home care is a decent option, especially if you’re also living with your loved one.
The senior is able to stay in their home or with their family but they’re still protected by the caregiver. They don’t risk falls or illnesses, and they always have someone nearby in case of emergencies.
Families who aren’t yet ready to seek out assisted living may find in-home care valuable for the time being.
Downfalls of In-Home Care
In-home care isn’t usually full-time, and even when it is, a caregiver can’t provide 100% of their attention to your senior living with Alzheimer’s.
Your loved one’s home (or your home) may not have the kinds of things that your loved one needs to stay healthy and to keep their minds stimulated. With Alzheimer’s, stimulation is key to keeping your senior active and healthy!
This is why in-home care alternatives may be best for someone living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. It can be too difficult to manage safely from home. Seniors may forget what they’re doing and where they’re going, and they may wander. At home, this isn’t as safe as it could be elsewhere.
What Is Assisted Living?
Assisted living is a place where your favorite senior can go to be taken care of by professional nurses, doctors, and caregivers. Assisted living centers often have several types of assisted living that are suited to the various needs of the seniors who live there.
The best assisted living communities are going to provide many amenities to the seniors living there. They’re popular for seniors who don’t feel safe in their homes any longer, or for their families who feel the same.
What Are the Types of Assisted Living?
Assisted living comes in several varieties and they all suit different needs.
Traditional assisted living offers seniors some level of independence. Think of it like an apartment community that’s just for seniors. They have help if they need it, but all of their tasks are taken care of.
High-acuity care is for seniors that need more help than the ones in assisted living. They may need medical care or help with day-to-day things such as getting dressed or bathing.
Memory care is similar to high-acuity care and it’s for seniors with degenerative mental conditions, such as Alzheimer’s. Attendants pay special attention to these seniors to keep them safe and happy.
Benefits of Assisted Living
Assisted living has many benefits that in-home care doesn’t offer, for Alzheimer’s patients especially.
In-home care attendants are professionals, but they’re usually not nurses or doctors with medical experience. This means that while they can be good for mild conditions or temporary work, they won’t be able to provide your senior loved one with the same level of care as the best memory care services in assisted living facilities.
Memory care offers everything that your senior needs. A good memory care facility ensures that no one wanders off and everyone is kept stimulated with activities to keep them sharp.
Assisted living also has the benefit of many great amenities for your favorite senior to take advantage of if they choose to, and it provides a valuable social outlet.
Seniors who stay home with an attendant may not get the social stimulation that they need to stay happy. Senior citizens are more at risk for loneliness and that loneliness can exacerbate their condition. Seniors in communities have peers and friends to keep them company when you can’t be there!
Assisted living communities also help you have peace of mind. You don’t need to attend to your loved one’s every need. Someone else will do that for you!
Downfalls of Assisted Living
Assisted living communities don’t allow your senior loved one to live with you and your family. For some people, this is problematic.
That being said, they do allow visitation, which means that your loved one will still be available whenever you want to see them.
Assisted living can also be expensive, but so can in-home care. The best assisted living communities allow long-term care insurance, though, which means that they can be affordable.
So Which Is Better?
Assisted living may be the best choice for your loved one, especially if they’re living with Alzheimer’s. It provides a safe and secure place for your loved one to live, socialize, and enjoy everything that the community has to offer.
You don’t have to worry about any accidents or illnesses and you can rest easy knowing that there is always someone available to take care of your loved one.
We Want to Care for Your Favorite Senior
Are you looking for a great assisted living community for your loved one with Alzheimer’s? It might be time to move them into a caring community where they’ll be safe and happy for the rest of their life!
If you’re looking for the best memory care services and the best assisted living community in Anchorage, we’ve got you covered. Visit our site to take a 3D virtual tour of our facilities. We want to welcome your senior loved one to their new home.
