nursing homes Archives - Senior Care Central

Guest Blog: Home Care vs. The Alternatives: How to Make The Right Choice

Choosing the type of care for your senior family member can be stressful and difficult. The options alone can be confusing. While nursing homes and other more popular, familiar alternatives are often the first choices of most families, many are now choosing to hire medical homecare professionals to provide home care for their elderly loved ones.

Home care is a type of in-home service for seniors and the elderly. Care and services are provided in the home, so your loved one does not have to live separately and far away from you. It has several advantages for you and your senior family members. However, nursing homes and other alternatives also offer some benefits. So, which one should you choose? Should you go for home care, or should you choose a more familiar option?

To make sure you explore your choices efficiently, it is vital to understand each care type and what it can offer to your senior loved one – and to your family, as well.

Different Types of Senior and Elderly Care Services

Aging in Place/Home Care

Aging in Place is another term for home care senior services. This option is ideal for seniors and the elderly who need assistance or personal care for their daily living activities (ADL) – such as dressing up, personal hygiene, and preparing and eating meals – and instrumental activities of daily (IADL) living such as housekeeping and shopping. It does not provide medical care.

If you are considering home care for your senior loved one, there are several things you need to consider.

Home care is ideal for seniors whose homes are in a safe and secure neighborhood. A gated village or community is ideal, although it’s not necessary.
The home should be accessible; transportation should be easy so that your senior loved one won’t have to worry about driving the car.
Seniors should have their family, loved ones, or friends nearby. They should be available to help when needed.
The home should be easy to renovate or modify to accommodate to adjust to your senior loved one’s needs.
Home care is ideal for seniors who do not require a nurse or any other medical professional. Medical needs should be simple.

Aging in place is preferred by families who want a one-on-one and more personal senior care service. It’s an environment that allows the caregiver and his senior client to establish a comfortable and trustworthy relationship. Additionally, home care is also more exclusive than the alternatives because you and your family work with only one caregiver.

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes are the more popular option among the alternatives. They offer custodial care, which refers to non-medical assistance such as bathing, eating, and dressing up. Nursing homes also provide professional medical care. Licensed physicians and nurses are usually on-call 24/7.

These places are ideal for seniors in need of a high level of personal and medical care. Many of its senior and elderly residents were brought there because of an illness or after hospitalization. Nursing homes are also ideal for seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia as the facility is safe and security is tight.

Assisted Living Facilities

Assisted living facilities offer 24-hour access to care and supervision. These facilities provide room and boarding services to seniors and the elderly. The residents can easily and freely interact with each other.

These facilities do not offer professional medical services as there are no physicians or doctors and nurses in the community.

Assisted living facilities are ideal for seniors and the elderly. They need assistance with some of their day-to-day activities, such as going to the bathroom in the middle of the night and preparing meals.

Independent Living

Independent living housing arrangements are ideal for seniors and elderly residents aged 55 years old and up. It is specifically for those who do not need assistance or require minimal help with their day-to-day activities. There are no licensed physicians and nurses in the housing facility.

Seniors can choose from two housing types: freestanding or apartment-like homes. These houses are easy to manage and do not require yard work and heavy maintenance.

Independent living housing provides its senior residents with fun activities, amenities, and services.

Retirement Community

Also called Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), retirement communities put together assisted living, home care, and independent living in one location. This concept allows seniors to live in one community, so when their housing needs and care level changes, they can conveniently move to one that’s ideal for them.

Retirement communities can be expensive, though, as housing costs and monthly fees can change as the level of care required changes.

Things to Consider

Aside from understanding each option, it is also essential for you and your family to consider the following when deciding which senior care service to choose.

Daily physical and medical needs of your senior loved one.
How accessible and safe the community/facility location is.
Are you capable of meeting the required expenses?
Your senior loved one’s emotional and social needs.

With all the information you have, choosing the right care type for your senior family member will be easier and less stressful.

Guest Blog: Things to Consider Before Putting Loved Ones in a Nursing Home

A nursing home is a long-term care facility, which provides 24-hour room and board with personalized healthcare services, such as nursing care, therapy, rehabilitation, and a range of other programs and treatments. Choosing a nursing home for a loved one can be stressful because it is an unknown experience with many factors to consider. Patients typically seek 24/7 care at a nursing home to address issues like:

Chronic illness
Disability
Complex medical needs
Therapy or rehabilitation
Recovery after sickness, injury, or operation
Age-related issues such as forgetfulness, need for constant supervision or medical help.

There are typically two types of services available at nursing homes: short-term rehabilitation and long-stay residential units. Choosing a long-stay facility for a parent or other relative is an important decision that ensures the loved one receives appropriate care, respect and can experience the highest level of function and good quality of life.

Four Steps to Help Choose a Nursing Home

There are approximately 691 licensed nursing homes in the state of Florida, and this represents more than 64,000 beds. Because this is such an important decision and there are hundreds of nursing homes, the selection process can be overwhelming at first. Here are some easy steps to start the selection process.

Step One: Choose a geographical area.

Select a geographical area conveniently located so that close friends and family members can visit.

Step Two: Create a shortlist.

Do some quick research and create a shortlist of facilities that appear to match the family’s goals, such as environment, programs, and different treatments or therapy.

Step Three: Perform an advanced review of the shortlist.

ov compares three nursing homes and ranks them based on overall rating, health inspections, quality, and staffing.
Ask family, friends, and coworkers that you trust if they have experience with any homes on the shortlist.
Physicians and nurses often have an inside understanding of how certain nursing homes operate. Ask your loved one’s general physician if they provide medical service at a particular nursing home and if they have a specific facility they would recommend.

Step Four: Visit the different facilities that remain on the shortlist.

If possible, visit the very hall and room where the loved one would reside.
Gain as much information as possible about the day-to-day life and activities that current residents experience.
Take note of the cleanliness of the facility, including the appearance of the staff and residents, the common area, the cafeteria, bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen.
Take note of the atmosphere in the facility. Is it calm and caring or chaotic and unfriendly? Do the residents appear to be cared for, have activities they are engaging in, or do they look unkempt, bored, or secluded?
Ask to meet with the nurses and staff who work in the hall where the loved one will reside. Jot down the names of the providers and caregivers and check online to see if there are any positive or negative reviews.
Visit the cafeteria at dinner time or the common area during the day. Taste the food and talk to some residents to get their opinion.
Ask to observe any special sessions taking place like crafts, yoga, or game day.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Suggestions

Experienced nursing home abuse attorney James Hannon, Esq. understands that choosing to place a loved one in a nursing home is a meaningful, life-changing event. He recommends that the family thoroughly investigate the facility to discover prior reports of neglect, abuse, or lawsuits and visit the nursing home of choice at different times to observe:

Interactions

Look for positive and negative interactions. Watch for staff speaking to one another or residents with disrespect.

Cleanliness

When you visit the facility on different days and different times, does it always smell clean?

Maintenance

Touch the bedding, doors, and chairs to see if the facility is comfortable and well maintained.

Schedule

Stop in to see if the staff members are following the posted schedule.

Safety

Observe day-to-day interactions to see if the staff are following safety guidelines, such as confirming the patient’s name, the drug, and dosage before giving medication.

Security

Is the property secure? Is there a security staff member on-site? Do the doors lock at certain hours. Is the parking lot well lit?

Conclusion

As you consider your options, remember that choosing a nursing facility is an important decision. Take the time to research and visit several facilities so that you can confidently place your loved one in a loving, safe environment.