Is Companion Care Really Better than A Home?

Making the decision to put your ailing and elderly parent into a nursing home facility is never easy or simple. No one wants to end up in a nursing home and no one wants to subject a loved one to that fate. Yet, are nursing homes really all that bad? There are risks and benefits both to choosing a home and to opting for in-home companion care instead.

When the senior citizen in question doesn't want to be moved into a nursing home, the transition can be heartbreaking and downright traumatic for everyone involved. On the flip side, nursing homes offer many benefits for both the family of the patient and the patient. Like all elderly care options, each solution has pros and cons that will vary in importance depending on your unique situation.

One of the biggest benefits a nursing home can lend to you is giving your loved one around the clock medical care. This means immediate assistance as needed with everything from taking pills, bathing and emergencies. The community aspect of nursing homes is another big plus that most other elder care options simply can't contend with.

Nursing homes are far more regulated today than they used to be, yet the terrible stories of the past continue to color the opinion of nursing homes. The federal government makes it their job to evaluate, license and regulate nursing homes so an adequate level of care is maintained.

The benefits of a nursing home make the high price understandable but unfortunately not reasonable for most families. Unless money has been set aside ahead of time for this sort of thing, it is very hard to afford.

The biggest downside to nursing homes is the negative effect they can have as far as emotional health goes. Leaving a familiar home to live instead in a sterile nursing home can be very disconcerting.

The lack of freedom a nursing home resident has is another big downside of this choice. If your loved one wants lots of freedom to come and go as they please, participate in activities and meals at will and have visitors at any time of day, some nursing homes will feel like a cage.

When you are making this difficult but necessary choice, think about what your loved one is and is not able to do for themselves. Also think about the effect the move to a new living situation will have on them. Changing homes can be very detrimental for people suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

To avoid these stresses, companion care is an affordable and effective alte
ative. This option involves in-home medical care as well as company for the patient. Your loved on can stay in their home but still get the socializing and medical benefits of living in a facility.