Alternatives to Nursing Homes

The discussion to move to a nursing home is one that many families don’t want to have. A loved one having to move into a nursing home can be a vexing experience both for the senior and the family of the elderly individual. When living at home becomes too difficult, whether that be from difficulties navigating the house, or from the elderly individual needing more hands-on care, the consideration of nursing homes is made. 

Nursing homes may provide the necessary care, however, for many seniors, nursing homes are not their preferred choice. According to the AARP, nearly 90% of adults over the age of 65 want to stay in their homes as long as possible. Often the choice to move to a nursing home is one made out of necessity or from not understanding the other potential alternatives to nursing homes Tulsa. Sometimes a nursing home is unfortunately the best option for an individual’s personal needs, but it is important to be aware of and consider other viable solutions beforehand.

At Home Care

In-home care is often the most desirable situation for seniors if it is a sustainable choice. Elderly individuals are able to retain a good deal of their independence while receiving the care that they need in order to stay at home. They can retain their comfortable environments, while family members are still able to freely visit and potentially observe the services to ensure that their aging family member is receiving proper, high-quality care. 

For elderly individuals who only need a small to potentially moderate amount of care, in-home care is feasible compared to the costs of a nursing home. With proper planning, modifications to the home for accessibility, and that bit of assistance with medical needs or assisted living, an elderly individual may be able to stay at home for their entire life. However, for individuals who may need more intensive care or support, in-home care may prove to be too expensive. It is important to consider the individual’s unique needs to see if in-home care is a viable alternatives to nursing homes Tulsa option.

Assisted Living Facility

Assisted Living Facilities are residential settings for seniors who only need a bit of assistance with the activities of daily living. Similarly to nursing homes, an individual is required to move into these homes, but an assisted living facility has a stronger sense of community, offering opportunities for elderly seniors to plan activities together. Common areas are shared, while each individual has their own private rooms.

Assisted living facilities offer many services and benefits, ranging from helping elderly individuals with their medicine reminders, transportation to appointments, dining services, exercise programs, and housekeeping. Most importantly, assisted living facilities offer 24-hour on-site staffing, ensuring that individuals have ready access to potentially needed alternatives to nursing homes Tulsa care, or assistance. 

Financially speaking, the cost of an assisted living facility is more expensive than in-home care, but less expensive than the costs of a nursing home.

Memory Care Unit

A Memory Care Unit is a specialized facility that offers care for individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Similar to assisted living facilities, memory care units provide private rooms, along with assistance for the activities of daily living. The differences is that memory care units have a greater deal of security in order to ensure that elderly individuals do not wander off of the premises. 

Individuals with dementia have needs that often requires specialized training to properly care for. For family members caring for individuals with dementia, it can prove to be overwhelming, and for the individual themselves, they may not understand properly how much care they require themselves. As dementia worsens, the amount of care that is required often increases. 

The costs of Memory Care Units are often greater than that of in-home care and assisted living facilities but are less than that of a nursing home.

Palliative Care

For individuals with serious illnesses such as heart failure or cancer, palliative care exists to focus on the comfort and quality of life for the individual while receiving care for their symptoms and treatments to attempt to cure their illness. palliative care can be given in many settings, such as hospitals, specialized clinics, or even at home. 

Palliative care is administered by a team of professionals that offer medical, emotional and practical support. These professionals work with an individual’s existing doctors, family members and the individual themselves to improve the individual’s quality of life as much as possible. The services offered along with palliative care can vary depending on the complications of the illness, along with the needs of the patient. As such, the price often can vary depending on these factors as well. However, Medicaid may offer partial coverage of palliative care.

Hospice Care

Hospice care is a specialized type of comfort care for individuals with terminal illnesses that are expected to pass away within the next six months. At these times, it is important for individuals to focus on their mental health, comfort, and ensuring that they have time to spend with their loved ones. It is similar to palliative care that it is focused on the comfort of the individual and managing symptoms of the illness, but explicitly is for when an individual either chooses not to receive further treatment for the illness, or a doctor determines that the illness cannot be treated.

Hospice care, like palliative care can be given in the home, at assisted living facilities, or hospitals depending on the needs of the individual. hospice care is usually fully covered by Medicaid.