Most seniors want to live at home as they age, but when the time comes to introduce senior care options to your loved one, you may find yourself wondering if aging in place is the right choice. While nursing homes can be a practical option for aging seniors with certain medical needs, a senior home health care agency can often be a better solution for a variety of reasons. Whatever you decide, it’s important to understand the difference between home health care and nursing homes so you can make an informed decision.
Nursing Home Care
A nursing home offers seniors immediate access to continuous nursing care in a comfortable living environment. Some nursing home facilities offer a broad range of care services that allow residents to have more mobility throughout the space. Nursing home care can often be a good option for aging couples who have varying medical needs. However, the attention of care your loved one receives can also vary considering nurses and caregivers in these facilities must provide services to other patient-residents.
Reasons to Consider Nursing Home Care
- Your loved one suddenly comes down with a severe illness or injury that requires round-the-clock care for an extended period of time.
- Your loved one has severe Alzheimer’s that presents with paranoia, frequent anger, or physical violence against you, other family members, or your in-home caregiver.
- Your loved one has medical needs that you or an in-home health care agency can’t provide.
- Your loved one’s doctor recommends a nursing home to ensure all medical needs are met in a safe, controlled environment.
Types of Nursing Home Services
Nursing homes provide clinical care from registered nurses at all hours, plus assistance with completing daily activities. Nursing homes commonly provide the following medical services and others:
- Speech therapy
- Physical therapy
- Intravenous (IV) drug therapy
- Respiratory therapy
- Rehabilitative therapy
- Pain management
- Dialysis
- Help for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients
Home Health Care: A Viable Alternative to Nursing Home Placement
While nursing homes have traditionally been a popular senior care solution, more families are now utilizing senior home health care services to meet medical needs of aging loved ones. According to AARP, nine out of ten seniors wish to age in place due to the comforts found at home, proximity to family and friends, and familiar daily routines. Home health care providers are skilled at addressing a wide range of medical conditions and offer clinical services that are designed to keep your loved one comfortable and safely cared for in familiar surroundings.
Benefits of Home Health Care Services
In-home health care services offer many benefits to seniors and their families including the following:
- Home health care plans are catered to the individual needs of your loved one. Whether they need just a few hours of in-home health care each week, a few hours every day, or someone to stay with them overnight, their needs will be met accordingly.
- Senior home health care agencies provide one-on-one attention. This can give you peace of mind knowing that your hired in-home health care provider is focused completely on your loved one’s medical needs. This can be a much better option than a nursing home where residents tend to outnumber medical staff.
- Freedom and independence. Hiring a senior home health care provider will allow your loved one to remain independent. They can decide what and when they want to eat, if they want to leave the house to run errands, or with whom they want to socialize. Nursing homes tend to have restrictive rules — including strict visitation times.
Types of Home Health Care Services for Seniors
Just as nursing homes provide care from registered nurses and other clinical health care providers, senior home health care agencies offer these services and more. Whether your loved one requires care from a registered home health nurse, home health aide, or an in-home physical, speech or occupational therapist, these services can easily be provided inside the comfort of your loved one’s home. An in-home health care plan may include the following to meet your loved one’s medical needs:
- Medication reminders, review and education
- Diabetes care
- Respiratory care
- Colostomy care
- Wound care
- Injections
- IV lines (starting, maintaining, discontinuing)
- Physical therapy
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Home health social work
- Monitoring vital signs
- Monitoring of care and progress of serious conditions
- Teaching self-monitoring techniques
- Patient and caregiver education
- Pain control and symptom management
- Medical care coordination and transportation to medical appointments
Senior Home Health Care Services in Akron, Ohio
It is possible to help your loved one maintain independent living while getting the medical care they need. My Family Home Health Care in Akron, Ohio offers in-home skilled nursing services and other home health care options to help seniors enjoy living at home for longer. Let My Family take care of your family. Contact us today for a home health care assessment.