If you have a parent that has reached the age where they could probably use a little (or a lot of) help in their daily life, you may be wondering about putting them in a nursing home or assisted living facility. However, there is a third option that you may not have considered. That option is home healthcare. There are numerous benefits to going with home healthcare rather than another home option for your elderly parent. Learn more about some of these benefits.
Home Is Familiar
As people age, sometimes their memory begins to fade. Whether your parent is currently dealing with diagnosed dementia or not, memory can be an issue at times. Moving your parent to assisted living or a nursing home can mean that they wake up some days not knowing where they are or why they are there because the environment is not the home they have known for a long time.
Home is familiar, and that can be a comforting and reassuring thing to a person whose memory may be coming and going. The more familiar the environment, the more likely they will be able to remember it and feel safe and comfortable.
Home Can Be Safe from Disease
In today's environment, with infectious diseases on everybody's minds, it can also be said that home can be safer in some ways than a nursing home or assisted living facility. Many nursing homes have been hotbeds for COVID-19 because of the fact that so many people are in such close proximity and because staff members interact with several residents and outside people every day.
If you work with home healthcare agencies, you do not have to worry about that as much. Your parent can practice safe social distancing by staying in their home. They can also work one-on-one with a home healthcare provider that works with one or two clients a day as opposed to dozens. This limits exposure to not only COVID-19, but the flu, colds, and other potentially infectious diseases.
Your Parent May Not Want to Move
Another factor to keep in mind through all of this is that your parent has a say in what they want for the remainder of their life as well. And they may very adamantly not want to move from their current home. Having home care services come into their house to help them out could be a nice compromise between you and your parent.
Remember to keep your parent's wishes in mind through all of this. After all, they are an adult and are (most likely) still capable of making their own decisions.
Now that you know some of the reasons home healthcare may be the answer for your elderly parent, you can get in contact with a home healthcare agency right away to discuss options and set up an appointment.
