Seniors should look together with their loved ones to age in one place. Aging in place has many advantages, thanks to the advance in technology, city planning, and development of home health care. Furthermore, aging in one place benefits both seniors and the communities in which they live.
The Benefits of Aging in Place
Of course, the first and most significant advantage of aging in place is without a doubt the fact that the elderly can live through their golden years in the same home where they spent most of their lives. You can never state enough just how vital familiar and comfortable surroundings can be for seniors. Aging in place is especially beneficial for seniors who are experiencing dementia or memory loss or have issues with recalling things.
By aging in place, seniors can enjoy their home as they did throughout their life. Moving to a smaller place isn’t the best solution for all older adults. If they are living in a bigger space, they can surround themselves with objects from their past life which will serve as mementos and will make them feel good. Most seniors have figuratively collected their lives inside their house surrounded by loved ones.
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There are people who believe that moving their loved ones into a nursing home is a cheaper option, but they are wrong. Living in the place where they already do is 20% less expensive than nursing homes, even when you count in the expenses that come with a hired caregiver. Also, seniors who live at home lead more fulfilled lives. They remain members of the community and participate in events and activities with the close friends with whom they have spent most of their lives. Older adults who need to move into nursing homes lose these advantages, and they are forced to cut ties with their old lifestyle. In cases where the elderly are forced into a care facility, they might even face issues that come with lost independence.
Unfortunately, there are obstacles that come with aging in place, and we are going to address them below.
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Dealing With Medical Issues When Aging in Place
With age, medical issues arise. Many elderly adults need day-to-day care just to be able to do simple activities. Older adults face many challenges, and home healthcare has changed drastically to stay in touch with its patients.
Not all elderly adults need everyday medical care, but most of them require a hand with chores and similar activities. Seniors who need this type of care can find it through homecare agencies. Today they specialize in helping older adults with daily operations of all kinds. In some cases, if a senior only needs a little help, they can receive it from family, friends, and even neighbors.
Non-medical homecare consists of providing help to the elderly with laundry and simple housekeeping chores such as meal making. For seniors that don’t need a particular type of assistance but only want company for the day, companion care is a perfect solution.
Furthermore, there are various types of non-medical care for your elderly loved ones. Just some of the examples are overnight care and live-in services. The first one is care that requires a caregiver to be present in the hours before bedtime, they then spend the night in the house with the senior and assist them with activities in the morning. Thanks to this type of care, the elderly will feel safe and secure during the night. The latter one requires a caregiver to spend a few days a week with a senior full-time and mainly live with them.
Regardless of the help you pick for your loved one, or even if you choose none, the advantages of them aging in place will be immense and benefit them by itself.
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