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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.
For one thing, a nursing home provides 24 hour care for your loved one. This means they will never be unable to get help when they need it. Medical care from trained professionals will always be close by. There is incredible community offered at nursing homes, too, and having a full in house schedule of activities makes it easy for your loved one to stay entertained.
Nursing homes are much safer than they used to be, too. Unlike in the past, the federal government monitors and evaluates nursing homes to make sure they are medically and emotionally safe, healthy and reasonably comfortable.
Because of all these benefits, nursing homes do cost a pretty penny. In fact, unless you are wealthy or your loved one set aside money for just this event, it is most likely you won't be able to choose a nursing home without going into debt.
The negative emotional effects of nursing homes are perhaps the most concerning. Being moved from a familiar home to a sterile facility away from family and friends can have detrimental effects on the health of residents.
If the patient is still active outside the home, a nursing home can seriously limit their freedom and enjoyment of life. Having meals on a fixed schedule is one of the things new residents have trouble adapting to. Some nursing homes also have limited visiting hours and restrict when and for how long residents leave the facility unattended.
How to choose what is right for your loved one means looking at the pros and cons as they related to your situation in particular. Remember that the transition of living spaces for a person with a disorienting illness like dementia can have serious negative health effects.
To avoid these stresses, companion care is an affordable and effective alternative. 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.
