We all wish we could live out our lives in our own homes, surrounded by friends and family while we enjoy our favorite activities and hobbies on our terms. For some, it’s a reality, but for many of us, there’s a good chance long-term care is in our future. Medical advancements are letting us live longer, more active lives, but aging can still take a toll on our bodies and minds.
According to a study by Morningstar, by the year 2020, 12 million Americans will require long-term care. But the care one needs varies by their health status, limitations, and abilities. It may be delivered by a loved one at home or by an elderly care team at a nursing home. An individual may bounce from one level of care to another or remain at one facility the rest of their life.
Understanding the different levels of long-term care can be confusing and knowing which is best for your loved one can be complicated, but we’re here to lay out the differences of each.
Types of Long-Term Health Care for Seniors
In-Home Care
In many instances, a senior is healthy enough to live on their own at home, but due to an illness, injury, or aging they may need help with personal care or daily living activities. While a loved one can provide some help, a skilled home health agency, staffed by nurses, therapists, and aides, can step in to help.
Home health services deliver many of the same services your loved one would receive in an assisted living facility, including wound care, medication management, and physical therapy.
Senior Assisted Living Facility
Assisted living facilities are similar to retirement communities or independent living facilities, offering home-like settings and a variety of social and recreational activities. However, they provide 24-hour supervision to ensure the care and safety of residents who are medically stable and mobile but can no longer stay in their own homes because of health reasons.
These long-term care homes provide a standard level of care for meeting basic day to day health needs like safety oversight, medication management, and assistance with activities of daily living (personal hygiene, etc.)
Residents of assisted living can receive additional care through skilled home health services for high-level nursing such as wound care or catheter care; physical, occupational, and speech therapy while living in these communities with no additional out of pocket cost.
The latest trend in long-term care is to combine independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing facilities into one continuing care retirement community that lets seniors move from one facility to another as their needs change.
Skilled Nursing Facility or Nursing Home
Nursing homes provide 24-hour medical and personal care to those who can no longer be cared for at home or at an assisted living facility. Services can include skilled nursing care, rehabilitative services, and assistance with personal care and daily living.
Many think of a nursing home as only a long-term option, but they can also provide temporary care following a hospital stay, surgery, or another life-changing event to help seniors recover and heal before returning home.
Navigating Your Family’s Options
When you need help choosing the right fit for your loved one’s needs, contact Envision Health Partners. Through our free health assessments, we can help you determine where your family member is in their stage of life and the level of care that is best for them.
If continuing to live independently is an option, our nurses and therapists can deliver quality care right at home. Our goal is to help your loved one live their best life possible, no matter where they happen to live!
Need help talking with your parent or other family members?
Feel free to contact us today for a free in-home assessment as we can provide helpful suggestions that will make this difficult conversation a little easier.