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Why Home Care is a Better Option for Many Seniors than Assisted Living.

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If your loved one is getting older and struggling to care for themselves, you might be wondering what care is best for them. There are a range of options, including assisted living and home care. While it always depends on the individual circumstances of the person being cared for, home care from a specialist provider such as Home Care Assistance is often the best option. This blog compares the two types of care to help you choose the best care for your loved one.

The number of older Australians aged 65 or over is expected to double over the next 40 years to 8.8 million. Approximately 40% of older Australians need assistance with at least one activity.[1] The dilemma many families face is what type of care is best for their loved ones. Assisted living is where care is provided in a supported facility. This involves the person receiving care to relocate to the facility to receive that care. Home Care is provided in the person’s home, with a person coming to the house to provide the necessary care. While the basic premise of both types of care is to support older people’s needs, the way care is delivered is different.

Personalisation and Comfort

Assisted living requires the person to move from their home into the facility. This means they move out of the home they have been living in into somewhere new. Not only can this be disorienting, but it can also mean that the people and places your loved one is used to may no longer be nearby.

Further, one staff member attends to many patients within a shift in an assisted living facility. This can make it difficult for them to provide personalised care to your loved one. With home care, the Care Professional comes to your loved one’s home and can provide more personalised care based on their needs, likes and dislikes.

With home care, it is also easier for your loved one to keep doing the activities they enjoy – such as cooking – as long as possible. Support can be gradually increased as needed.

Cost Effectiveness

Many people think that home care is too expensive. However, depending on the person’s needs and available subsidies, it may be cheaper than assisted living. The best way to find out the most cost-effective option for your family is to consider getting pricing on both assisted living and home care, as well as find out if your loved one is eligible for any subsidies. By looking at both options, you can make an informed decision.

Health and Safety Benefits

The personalised attention of home care from a specialist provider such as Home Care Assistance means that care can be more easily tailored to your loved one’s needs. This includes not only providing support for existing health issues but also supporting prevention of health issues your loved one might be at risk for.

Home care also reduces the risk of exposure to communicable diseases such as the flu or COVID-19, which can spread more quickly in an assisted living environment.

Family Involvement and Support

Home care can provide more opportunities for family members to be involved in supporting their loved ones and make visiting more comfortable for everyone. With Home care, the family can help with their loved one’s care without a full-time commitment or being solely responsible for providing care. There can be less scope for family involvement in assisted living.

Avoiding Loneliness

Home care helps stop older Australians from feeling lonely because the carers also avoid companionship. Also, part of the care plan can be tasks that enable the person cared for to attend events or visit friends. This can be a better option for an older loved one with an established friend group and regular activities they like to engage in.

Assisted living, however, often provides ‘in-house’ activities older people can engage in and ready-made potential friends who also live in the facility. This may suit some older people better.

Independence and Quality of Life

Many older people prefer to stay in their own homes. Home care can help them maintain their independence, mental health, and quality of life. The customisation and personalised care provided by a specialist provider such as Home Care Assistance can be significant.

If you are considering care support for your older loved one, look at home care as well as assisted living to determine what is best for your loved one, their well-being and quality of life. Home Care Assistance’s Care Professionals are ready to support your loved one.

Support at home from a specialist provider, such as Home Care Assistance , can bring enormous benefits and comfort to your quality of life while living independently at home.  Home Care Assistance has viable solutions when it comes to supporting independent living. For more information, get in touch with a Home Care Assistance near me today.  

[1] https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/australias-welfare-2017-in-brief/contents/ageing-aged-care

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    As a leading age care provider, Home Care Assistance offers tailored in-home care services for older Australians, enabling them to live happier and healthier lives in the comfort of their own homes. 

    We offer private and government subsidised Care Packages and have office locations that are a registered NDIS provider. Our Care Workers undergo extensive training in order to deliver unmatched in-home aged care services where people can continue ageing in place. We are proud ambassadors of the My Aged Care government funded aged care program, enabling Australians to successfully navigate the process and gain approval for in-home care support packages. Home Care Assistance offers hourly care, specialised care, Alzheimer’s and Dementia care, hospital to home care, and 24 hour in home care.

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    Great team
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    Would recommend
    The carers who looked after my elderly mother were without exception highly motivated, caring and compassionate. Not only was Mum looked after supremely well, she was provided with wonderful... companionship, a level of independence that would have been impossible without the help of her special carers, and a lot of fun. It is difficult to put into words how much this meant to her entire family! Keep up the good work.read more
    It is the best choice and the best decision I have ever made in my life, choosing the Home Care Assistance in Southport, Gold Coast, they are very accommodating and helpful., very prompt in... replying and provide your needs. Assisting and organising home maintenance and modifications, providing a carer that meet your needs appropriately. this was done by Jourdan who I first met and organized from the beginning and now Christina. Michelle is very approachable and accomadating and very cheeerful, happy enough to listen. I highly recommend this organization without hesitation.read more
    Homecare assistance is a high quality company run by friendly and highly qualified faces, I could not recommend the company enough to those who need it
    Home Care Assistance Gold Coast have been five star in the service and care they've provided for my grandparents. A huge thank you to the professional team behind the scenes who ensure all clients... are well taken care of. Highly recommend!read more
    Would highly recommend this home care provider. I am so glad I took my grandmother out of a home care package as we were paying too much in fees. The staff are very attentive and helpful.
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