Providing care for your senior or ill relatives can be really challenging when you have a family of your own, a career, or you live away from them. However, their medical condition makes it difficult for them to perform daily activities, such as eating, dressing, bathing, taking their medication, etc. So, they need someone to look after them and help them with medical and non-medical activities.
Now, this brings us most to two options: nursing homes or in-home health care options. This decision is never easy because a wrong judgment can cause inconvenience for both your loved one and yourself. Some people believe that placing their ill or elder relatives in a nursing home is the best option. Yet, the whole story is very different when you weigh the pros of both options.
No better place than home
You know what they say “there’s no better place than home” because home is the environment where we feel the safest and most comfortable. We know that nursing homes often market themselves as home-like places, but we all know that it’s just pure marketing.
In fact, it is known that people who live in the comfort of their own homes live longer than those who are placed in nursing homes. That’s because, unlike nursing homes, in-home care happens in a more comfortable environment where the elderly or ill individuals are surrounded by their loved ones.
Treatment happens in a familiar and compassionate environment
One thing that we all hate, especially when we are going through a difficult time, is unfamiliarity.
But feeling uncomfortable about unfamiliar situations is something that elders are most affected by. Elders prefer the ease of using something or being in a place that is familiar to them. Thus, adapting to new surroundings in a nursing home can be really challenging for them. On the flip side, home health care is provided in their own home, a place which they are familiar with, and where they feel safe when the treatments are being performed.
But being in a familiar place isn’t the only advantage. The ill or elder patient also gets treatment in a compassionate environment, close to their loved ones.
One-on-one attention
Perhaps the most significant advantage of home health care compared to nursing homes is that the patient gets one-on-one attention from the caregiver.
In nursing homes, nurses and doctors care for many patients meaning that the chance for your loved one to get one-on-one attention is rare.
On the flip side, with home health care, the caregiver has to care for only one patient, your loved one. So, they have the time and attention to focus entirely on helping your family member.
Moreover, having a caregiver giving all their attention to your loved one, you also get your peace of mind, and you can concentrate on your daily activities.
Available medical expertise
Home health care services provide patients with support from medical experts such as nurses, doctors, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Plus, you would know that your loved ones have 24/7 access to medical support as medical experts are sent to the patient’s home in case of emergencies.
On the flip side, nursing facilities do not offer such amenities because they rarely have medical experts who are available to assist patients around the clock.
Home health care provides better care when compared to nursing homes as they allow the patient to get treatment in a familiar, compassionate, and safe environment.