Home Care vs Nursing Home
Many seniors prefer to “age in place,” living out their later years in their own homes, especially when faced with the outdated concept of old “nursing homes.” However, today’s senior can enjoy a wide range of choices in what his or her life will look like in the years to come, including options for still-active seniors who simply want to downsize, or seniors with medical conditions that would benefit from easy access to medical care. Below are three considerations in this decision, and the pros and cons of staying at home or moving to a nursing facility.
1. Access to Care
In-Home Care:
While access to care at home is definitely a possibility, it’s important to consider how much care a senior will need, and when he or she will need it. There are agencies that provide a range of services, from assistance in daily tasks (such as preparing meals, taking medication, grooming, etc.), to simple companionship, to more intensive medical care. You can even arrange for physical and occupational therapists to come to the house to provide therapy on a regular basis, helping maintain quality of life for as long as possible. Care services can range from a few times a week, to daily, or even overnight. Many agencies also offer “palliative care,” meaning someone coming to stay with a senior for several hours to allow a caregiver personal time to run errands, make appointments, or just take a break. In-home care can be substantially more expensive than care in a facility, but there are pros and cons to both choices.
Nursing Home:
Nursing homes are probably the most convenient way to ensure you or a loved one will always have immediate access to medical-grade nursing care, although it’s important to review what a potential facility offers, since it can vary. Some facilities provide the additional benefit of offering a range of care options, allowing residents to move around as needed. For example, a resident may need knee surgery, so for the six weeks of recovery, he or she can move into the facility’s rehab wing, then return to his or her permanent room once they’ve recovered. These types of residences offering continuous care are helpful for couples, where one member may need more medical care at any given time, allowing the other member to visit easily and maintain most of his or her regular daily routine.
2. Familiarity
In-Home Care:
A senior often prefers to remain in his or her home where they have created so many memories and where they are familiar with the location of all necessities, furniture, light switches, and restrooms. A drawback, however, is that a once-manageable home can easily become difficult to maintain, with lawn care, cleaning, and chores for a large home adding up. There are ways to safety proof a house that can make life easier for a senior, including ensuring that all rugs and carpets are removed or tightly secured, furniture is out of traffic ways, and handles and bars are installed in bathrooms to help with mobility. If a senior is living alone, some wearable safety technology can allow them to contact help with the touch of a button if for some reason they cannot reach their phone.
Nursing Home:
Some seniors, especially those in the beginning stages of dementia, can find change especially confusing and upsetting. Moving into a new living facility can cause substantial frustration and worry. There are several ways you can ease the transition, including visiting the facility ahead of time, and also having familiar people along during the move (ideally, you can have two people helping the senior, one to fill out the needed forms and one to attend to the senior).
For more active seniors, downsizing to an apartment in an independent living community can be a major change but can also offer freedom from maintenance and chores. Today’s senior facilities often offer hotel-like amenities, and plenty of shared space for entertaining friends and family who may come to visit. More senior-only apartment complexes are popping up across the nation, creating the ideal environment for getting to know new, like-minded people and get involved in clubs, activities, and groups.
3. Cost
The bottom line is that the more care a senior requires, the more expensive the care. However, it’s important to remember that in-home care can often outpace care facilities since providers often charge by the hour. Depending where a senior is on the spectrum of care, different options might make the most sense.
For a ballpark on cost, 2015 averages show:
- Home Care Aide Cost: $20 per hour or $160 per day
- Assisted Living Cost: $119 per day, approximately $43,000 a year
- Skilled Nursing Home Cost: $220 per day, approximately $80,000 a year
Whether the final choice is to stay at home until the very end, or to try out a new locale, there are many great topics to consider and discussions to have. It’s an incredibly important decision to make for yourself or a loved one, and thankfully, there are numerous free resources and options to seniors. Finding the best solution can take come work, but feeling safe and cared for is invaluable and worth the time, energy, and money.
SeniorAdvisor.com has a comprehensive listing of home care and nursing homes across the country. Explore your options now:
Megan Hammons
Megan Hammons lives in the Central Texas countryside just outside of Austin, pursuing her love for copywriting after a career in high-tech marketing. She is part of a large, diverse family and enjoys spending time with the multiple generations living in her community.
39 Comments
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I would choose home care as it allows your loved ones remain independent whilst receiving proper care.
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Choosing the right care for your loved one means knowing what their limitations and needs are. I once saw that a good rule of thumb is if they need more than 40 hours a week of care, then they should probably be in an assisted living home. This makes sense, considering home care can end up costing you more. Thanks for sharing this.
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I can understand why a senior would want to remain in their home where they have created memories. It’s really great that they can receive the care that they need without having to leave their home. I know that when I get too old, I would want someone coming to me to help me.
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I believe that in home care is very vital. Families loved one receives one on one care. Less room for falls and injuries. Not to mention, those who have medical conditions such as Dementia, changing the environment and relocating residency can become frustrating and difficult for them.
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In your article, you stated that nursing homes are probably the most convenient way to ensure you or a loved one will always have immediate access to medical-grade nursing care, although it’s important to review what a potential facility offers, since it can vary. My mom just celebrated her 78th birthday and at her party, she was having a really hard time getting around and doing things for herself. I wonder if there is a point when a nursing home is no longer an effective place for someone to be.
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This is all great, but when your parents have limited income they get limited care. The home care people are not the greatest, so as usual the poor are the ones who suffer. Money talks! The elderly work all their lives and are treated like dirt. Your article has opened my eyes to how money talks. Seen it every time my mom goes into the hospital.
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This is so true!
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Your article was very helpful in comparing the two options of an assisted living home and home care. I like that with in home care that they can be in a place where they are in a place they know and are comfortable in. The fact that they can also administer medication or simply be company is great. I never knew the cost of both options but always assumed in home care would be cheaper, but I was completely wrong! I have seen in home care really benefit peoples life at the end stages of their life. I’ll be sure to pass this along to anyone who is thinking about senior care options.
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Thank for such informative article.Choosing the right care for your loved is difficult task.One has to prepare mentally at the time of putting your elderly parent/s to the nursing home.I would probably prefer nursing care home, as it provides qualified registered nurses, 24-hour expert nursing care, High quality and supportive care in a comfortable environment .
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Independent living is also an option, allowing the senior to feel “independent” while being among many other seniors sharing the same situation. It is also less expensive than assisted living.
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My wife is thinking about putting her dad into a nursing home but isn’t sure about it yet. I like that you mention how there are hotel-like amenities and lots of shared space at retirement homes. This would be really great for when the entire family comes up to visit! Thanks for sharing.
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I like that you mentioned how a nursing home is probably the most convenient way to ensure your loved one has immediate access to medical care. My dad is looking to find an old-people home for his dad who is in a quite frail condition. I’ll be sure to talk to him about finding a nursing home to take him to so he has the medical attention when needed.
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What I liked the most was how you said that senior care in a nursing home was the best bay to ensure that our loved one will receive the right treatment and care that they needed. To be honest, I didn’t like the idea of sending my grandma to a senior care facility at first. I was convinced that we can take care of her ourselves. But seeing this article and realizing that she will receive the right care if she was admitted there made me change my mind. Thank you for sharing. I’ll just make sure to visit her often.
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Helpful information for those that do not have knowledge of Home Health vs Nursing Care experience. However, not so much for individuals like myself. I currently work in a retirement home for aging adults. The fees in this article doesn’t come close to what I know in terms of what individuals and couples are paying. It cost is great. Not to mention having to sell estate or give to a next of kin when moving into an assisted or nursing facility.
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I was completely unaware that you could hire physical and occupational therapists to come to your home. My mother is getting older and she is becoming less able to take care of herself. This breaks my heart and I would hate to see her sent to a home. I think I want to start researching in home healthcare so she can stay on her own two feet for as long as possible.
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It was really nice how you said that in-home care is a good option simply because most seniors will prefer to stay in their homes where they have made a lot of fond memories and which they are familiar with. That’s the same thing my grandmother said and so she wants to stay in the house with us. I guess now, our only option is to look for an in-home care provider to give her what she needs as we cannot do it for her. Thank you for sharing!
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My mother is in need of assistance as she has Alzheimer’s. It’s great that you’ve mentioned how living assistance will be able to help her with daily tasks as well as provide intensive medical care if ever she needs one. We do want to give what’s best for her, which is why we’ll be checking around the area for the best possible facility that can cater to his condition.
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It sure was informative when you said that the nursing home is the best option if the family wants to make sure that their loved one has access to medical assistance whenever they need it. If that is the case, then I will consider leaving my grandma in a nursing. I only want what’s best for her, and I know that she will not do well living with me because I am usually out of the house, and the nearest hospital is miles away.
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I like how yous aid that a nursing facility is a good place to put your family to ensure that they will have the medical care that they need at all times. My mom is getting pretty old and after my dad died, she has had a hard time taking care of herself. We’ll have to look into a good nursing facility nearby that we can put her in so she can get a little more constant and consistent help.
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I like how you said that a senior often prefers to remain in his or her home where they have created so many memories, and where they are familiar. I think that in-home senior care is a great way to help seniors feel comfortable, and stay with family, as well. My friend’s mother is getting older, but she doesn’t want to leave her home, where her whole family is. I’ll have to recommend that she find a reliable in-home senior care service in her area, that can take care of her in the comfort of her own home.
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who is the authot of this article?
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I appreciate what you mentioned about nursing homes and how they are the most convenient way of making sure your loved one is cared for. Senior care facilities are vital for those who struggle to take care of themselves on a daily basis. My great-aunt is in need of such a facility, so I’ll help her find a place that can provide all of the necessary care she requires.
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Thanks for helping me learn more about in-home care and nursing homes. It’s good to know that at a nursing home a senior can have immediate access to medical-grade nursing care. This sounds very important especially if a senior has some conditions that need to be treated regularly.
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It got me when you said that nursing homes have additional facilities that can help a resident to move freely. I guess I will choose this for my grandmother because she can’t easily go out of the house due to being near the busy streets of the town. We are not at home due to work most of the time as well that is why we are looking into this, too.
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In my end, I will still choose home care than a nursing home. When you send the seniors at a nursing home, they will feel that their family don’t love them anymore since they will not have enough time to visit the seniors where in-home care, you could always see and ask for their recovery.
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That’s a good point that as people get older they would start being more uncomfortable with change. I would want to make sure my parents would still be able to live at home if they wanted to, so a caregiver sounds like a great idea. I’ll have to see if I can come to help them out with things like home maintenance and lawn care. Hopefully, those things will help them be comfortable with their living situations.
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It’s cool to learn more about senior care options. I like how you said that most seniors prefer to remain in home. My mom is the same way. I think that’s the best option for her because I don’t want to make her move for any reason.
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It definitely makes sense that one benefit of in-home care would be that the senior would be more familiar and comfortable with their environment. My grandparents tried to live in a senior living center, and my grandfather hated it because he wasn’t in the home he had lived in for decades and felt homesick. They ultimately moved back to their house and had to work out ways to maintain their yard and keep their house safer.
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How valuable it is to know that nursing facilities arrange a variety of care options. My neighbor has been a widow for years, and I’m the only person she knows. It’s good to have this idea in mind if it’s ever needed.
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I’m looking into this for a very dear friend. We are looking to see what the costs are and if insurance helps cover any of this. He does not want to leave his home. We do not want to make him do this either. So we are looking to see what we would need to do to meet his needs. To get him the best care he deserves. He has always been there for others and now it is time we help him.
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My senior father would like to have a choice when it comes to his health care. I think I’ll encourage him to get home health care services since they provide a range of services that he can use. As you’ve said, he’ll still remain in his home, and this is something that I know that he wants.
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I love the idea of adding handles and bars to the bathroom so that my grandma can use it easier. She’s been having a hard time getting around because her arthritis is so bad, so that would be really helpful for her to have. I’ll talk to her about installing some and see what she thinks.
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My friend can’t decide on hiring home care or taking his grandma to a nursing home so they can help her with her daily routine. I like how you mention a senior often prefers to remain home where they have created so many memories of their whole life. Thank you for the information. I’ll recommend him to hire a professional to take care of his grandma at her home so she doesn’t get depressed.
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My mom is 90 feel in the nursing home for rehab she has normal age progressive dementia. They are listed as 5 star however she was placed at the end of the hall they never open her blinds which has lead to sundowners I understand they cannot make her do rehab but they dont encourage it either. I got a call from the business office not the doctor stating she need to stay but because a outstanding balance was due she could not they tried to put her in another one of there own facilities but did not work out for them. Ins approved additional 5 days but they stopped her pt and ot so be careful keep in mind these are for profit businesses. I have informed the ins vo that they stopped her pt/ot even though they were paid for it looking to see if this is medicare fraud. BEWARE DO YOUR RESEARCH I TRUSTED THEM. Bring my mother home with pt/ot to make sure she does it
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I liked the part of your article that mentioned how you can make a house safer for an elderly person to live and receive home-care in. Since I am allowing my uncle to stay at my place in the meantime while he finds a place to retire, it could really help if I can make things easier for him by installing appliances and materials that are safe for him in addition to getting a caretaker. With that in mind, once I find a way to accident-proof my house, I’ll definitely hire an in-home care service to assist my uncle whenever we’re too busy.
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It’s great that you mentioned how seniors would often prefer to remain in their homes where they have created so many memories and where they are familiar with the location of all necessities, furniture, light switches, and restrooms. Our grandparents definitely need some assistance with their daily life now, however, I don’t think they’d want to be in a nursing home. So, we are thinking of asking for home care services instead.
