How to Know if Home Health or Assisted Living is The Best Choice

Home Health Care or Assisted Living?
Home Health Care or Assisted Living?

(FinancialHealth.net)- Smart Quiz: What Is the Main Advantage of Home Health Care Over Assisted Living?

  • Independence
  • Individualized Care
  • Convenience
  • Total Costs

Answer: Independence

If you or your loved one struggles with basic self-care throughout the day, it’s important to find help. With everything from personal hygiene to remembering when to take medications, one thing’s certain, remaining as independent as possible while getting the best care is a priority. Home health care is one way to preserve independence. Read more about how getting quality care at home may be a better choice than moving into an assisted living facility.

Maintaining Independence

If there are cognitive or physical concerns with you or a loved one, it can be challenging to be left alone without fear of falls or forgetfulness. A little help with daily tasks and care may be all that’s needed. Utilizing home health care allows individuals to get help with their ADLs, or activities for daily living, without having to leave the comfort of familiar surroundings. These activities include dressing, bathing, toileting, eating and moving from one place to another in the home.

Getting Quality Care at Home

Home health care can give you or your loved one the ability to receive a variety of services from a team of professionals, including:

  • Skilled nursing tasks such as administering medications and providing wound care
  • Assistance with personal care like bathing
  • Homemaker help with cleaning, meal prep, and organizing
  • Physical, occupational and speech therapy
  • Social work assessment to assure patient and family’s needs are being met

Interdisciplinary team members work together to ensure coordinated ongoing quality care. Having the convenience of a care team visiting the home helps promote a self-sufficient lifestyle.

Privacy

A selling point that many assisted living facilities offer is supervision of the patient in a home-like setting. This works out great for some, but others may wish to have more privacy. Getting health care services at home means both privacy and peace of mind for family and caregivers. If you or your loved one enjoys solitude and discretion, remaining in familiar surroundings can help boost their sense of independence, happiness and wellbeing.

This doesn’t mean avoiding human interaction altogether during the day. Programs like the non-profit, Meals on Wheels America, bring warm food and a friendly face directly to the homes of eligible adults.

Whether it’s for yourself or a family member, access to quality health services is important. When facing the choice between home health care and assisted living, independence should be a consideration, but not the only one. Weigh out all your options before making a clear-cut decision.

~Here’s to Your Financial Health

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