Especially if you have a loved one who has recently been diagnosed with dementia, you have many important things to consider. The first of these is whether or not they need additional care beyond what you and family members can provide. Choices like this are never easy especially when your loved one wants to stay in their own home. But it can be difficult to review all of the options available without fully understanding what they mean.
When it comes to the difference between nursing homes and home care, you need to educate yourself to decide which of these is the most appropriate for your loved one’s needs. A nursing home provides more advanced or around the clock care, but home care allows the loved one to remain in a comfortable environment. Both of them have their benefits and disadvantages.
If your loved one has any documented wishes, such as in their estate plan or in previous conversations they have had with other family members, make sure to consider this in line with their current medical conditions too. The first thing to evaluate is how much daily help could be required. Amenities like on site health care, planned meals or organized activities might add an additional layer of structure for your loved one. If your family member requires a lot of medical assistance due to the onset of dementia or recovering from an injury, a nursing home might be more appropriate.
In-home care options run along the spectrum from 24/7 care to a couple of hours per week. Most beneficiaries get 44 hours of care or less every single week, especially because all day care in the home can be very costly. Skilled medical professionals can provide basic services to greater levels than what’s available in in-home care because they can assist in nursing homes with things like injections, feeding tubes, IV changes and insertions and medication administration more easily.
Nursing home care can be the best option for those who require more than basic care and well beyond what can be provided in a nursing home. Set aside a time to speak with a Pasadena estate planning attorney about your next steps if you are curious about protecting a loved one.
