Making the right decision is never easy, but sometimes it is most needed. It would be unfair to many if they assumed that homes are to put off the burden of care. But there are times when you need to make a practical decision for yourself and your loved one. With that decision comes a very important question, which home?
With a better understanding of care and nursing, it has been made easy for residents to differentiate between what they want. An assisted living or a skilled nursing home depends on the dependence of the one being moved in.
Assisted Living
It can be hard seeing your single parent trying to make things work around the house while you cannot do much due to work and distance. While these situations are heart-wrenching, they always have a positive outcome.
Assisted living homes are for those individuals who want their privacy and their own space but require help with different daily chores. These chores can include bathing, laundry, grooming, cooking, grocery, and even engaging in social activities.
The facility is usually informed of different apartments or even rooms that have locking doors, private bathrooms, and private living areas. There is a sense of independent living as well as a percentage of assistance. It helps maintain a level of medical care, required assistance, and independence.
To make the apartment more homely, the residents are also asked to decorate with their personal belongings to have a sense of ownership and love towards their space. These facilities are for individuals who are not diseased and can live independent life.
But the factor of age limits their daily activity. While many just want to live there for the organized lifestyle and have age fellows around. It is the best option for people who have become isolated due to their age and retirement.
Putting all things aside, assisted living is a little cheaper than nursing homes and can cost around $57,000 annually.
Skilled Nursing Home
There comes a time in almost everyone’s life when the guardianship of your once guardian needs to be taken. That decision will always be one of the hardest ones to make.
While many assume the care and proper therapy can be provided at home, it’s not just the age that becomes a hindrance between you and them. It’s age-related diseases that change them completely.
The most common age-related diseases fought are dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and even cancer.
It is not easy to decide that it’s time for your loved one to be taken into a nursing home. But the fact is these homes are built for this purpose.
They not only provide care and grooming but help in maintaining the memory of patients by engaging them in several social activities.
A nursing home is developed for residents of different states who need a lot more than just assistance. People who are admitted to a nursing home have become isolated, are dealing with a disease, or are completely bedridden.
The task of a skilled nursing home is to provide every house guest with proper care, assistance in daily chores, grooming, and hygiene, provide proper meals, and help them engage in social activities to come out of their isolation.
A nursing home is nothing like assisted living facilities, but they are not doctor-packed buildings with patients. Rather nursing homes are nourishing environments that help understand the needs of every patient and house guest.
It is a little more organized than an assisted living facility, but that is because the residents at a nursing home need more attention. The monthly cost for a nursing home is estimated to be $7,089 for a semi-private room and $9,003 for a private room. These prices differ in different states.
The Big Decision
Being an adult child or the one taking guardianship of someone who needs assistance in daily life chores can be nerve-wracking. Choosing a house for someone you love will always be a difficult decision.
Before any adamant decisions, it is better to get your priorities straight on why you want to opt for a home. Secondly, look into what type of home will be most suitable for your elderly loved one.
Your decision to find the right facility depends on many things. If you have already decided that now it’s time to put your parents, grandparents, or any other elderly in a facility, then half of your work is done.
Making that decision is the hardest part. But it is wise to make a practical step when you know the care and attention they require is not for you to handle.
Financially, nursing homes cost more because the house guests there are mostly patients, but there are states that have minimal monthly charges.
In an assisted facility, you can be guaranteed independent and private living with assistance. Take into account that the right decisions are almost always the toughest.
What to Choose
Many factors will influence your decision for the better. Here are a few things to ponder upon;
1. If your parents or the elderly are in good shape and can help themselves around the house, then assisted living is a suitable option. Because with age comes the unfair fate of isolation which can lead to depression.
A daily talk at dinner time is not sufficient. They need to walk outside the walls of their home, engage with people their age, and exercise. These are all the things an assisted living can provide without taking their independence away.
2. Suppose you notice that the elderly in your guardianship have become isolated and reduced in communication. They require an environment where they feel accepted and to whom they can relate.
If a nursing home is not what you want for them, assisted living is always an option. While assistance is provided but if dementia or onset of dementia is a concern, then you should most probably opt for memory rehabilitation assistance. Many assisted living facilities provide dementia care as well.
3. Patients who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other crippling disorders cannot be provided with proper care at home.
It is better to look into different nursing homes where the disease can be stabilized. While it is hard to see your loved one in a home, professional care, assistance, and required medical care cannot be offered to them at home.
Everyone has their reasons and opinions, but this is never an easy decision. It is a practical decision that benefits the elderly much more than anyone can ever imagine.
Conclusion
The difference between the two facilities is clear enough to make a well-informed decision. But it is the decision itself that takes a lot of thought and a big heart.
Making practical decisions are never easy, but they are always in everyone’s best interest. Assisted living facilities promise assisted spaces that provide privacy and independent living for those who need and want it.
