Independent People - Care Advice & News

10 Benefits of staying at Home instead of a Residential Facility

Posted on by Paul Austin

 

Let’s keep our elderly safe at home. If you’re in the process of deciding between a residential care home and finding a live-in carer for your loved one, read on to find out 10 benefits of home care for the elderly in their own homes.

It is a heart wrenching decision and it often feels like there isn’t an alternative that you are happy with. Perhaps you have already thought about Live in Care but decided that it would be simple to just choose a care home instead. We understand, it can be hard to go ahead of the advice of others who say ‘put them in a home’ but please pause for a moment. Live in Care is a relativerly new idea that people have not got used to yet. If more people knew about how it worked it would be an easy choice. All of the evidence tells us clearly that living in your own home, your place with your things is much better for the mind and body. It is your routine and you choose what to do and when, you are kept safe with a one to one carer, just for you.

When a person enters a care home the become, well, part of the institiution. No more thinking, no more choices. We have found it hard to bring people back home after a stay in a residential facility, the mind has gone.

Don’t you at least owe live in care a chance? If it fails to work after two weeks then what has been lost? There is much more to lose if you choose a care home as your first choice. We appreciate the tone of this message to you may be direct but in our clinical experience it can be very helpful to have the truth said in straight way.

So, here are ten reasons why you should consider Live in Care very seriously.

 

 

Control the spread of infectious diseases

Care home residents share their air, space and equipment so they are more prone to infections as they share organisms that can easily cause infection outbreaks, such as viruses and bacteria.

 

Receive dedicated 1-2-1 care at home

The main advantage of engaging a live-in carer is the dedicated personalised one-to-one care your loved one will receive. You do not have to share a Carer with another 20 residents if they were in a residential care home.

 

It’s better at home

Your home is a warm place, filled with rich memories, photos and belongings collected over a lifetime. It is familiar, private and full of memories. Your routines and food are the way you like them. For someone living with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, it’s particularly beneficial to be around familiar surroundings, rooms and items because they see their home as their ‘memory box’.

 

Families can visit anytime

Friends, family and neighbours can come and go as they please and trips out can be planned with ease.

 

Pets can stay at home

If your relative has a beloved pet, one of the benefits of personalised care means they’ll be able to keep their pet. As part of our live-in care services, we’ll make sure your chosen carer is also an animal lover and can take care of their pet as well.

 

Support for a caregiver

Receiving 1-2-1 care in your own home means that the new carer relieves any pressure from the family member who is currently caring for the individual, which can provide a lot of relief. A live-in carer is not only there to provide 24/7 support, but is also there to provide professional companionship to the main caregiver. In fact, it’s often the case that a carer becomes an extension of the family over time.

 

It’s cost effective

For the price of one bed within a care home, you can receive a live-in care service which is tailored to your healthcare needs.

 

Feel dignified and in control

One of the benefits of home care is your right to make choices and stay in control over life longer. Living in a nursing home usually means there are set meal times and any activities happen to a structure set by the nursing home. Whereas, if your relative receives care in their own home, their routines can remain the same, not having to adjust to another schedule. They’ll also be able to carry on enjoying their clubs, hobbies and interests whenever they like to

 

Feel less lonely with better companionship

Did you know that 3.6 million older people live alone in the UK, and over 2 million of those are over the age of 75 years? That’s why we offer a companionship service to give families complete peace of mind. We’ll make sure the carer’s interests and hobbies are similar to the individual. Having someone there around the clock to support them mentally as well as physically, can help them feel less alone and boost their mood

 

Receive the specialist care needed

If you’re looking for care for your relative, it’s vital to make sure that they receive not only the right level and quality of care, but the right type of short term or longer term support, including palliative care. This depends on which condition they might be living with. For example, our carers are trained and experienced in caring for individuals living with:

 

Contact us today about live-in care for your loved one

If you’d like to know more about our live-in care services,  or how you can opt for a trial on a short-term basis to see whether Live-in care is the right care option for you or a loved one. Contact us to arrange a no obligation free care call, or call us again right now to chat to one of our team.