Nursing Homes Vs Assisted Living: Which Is Right For Your Elderly Loved One?
The decision to relocate your elderly loved ones from their long time home to a nursing home or assisted living community (such as The Cedars) can be a difficult choice to make. Thankfully, knowing that you have chosen the right living environment for them can help to make this decision just a bit easier. Below you will learn more about the pros and cons that come along with each of the options available to you so that you can ultimately ensure you are choosing the right environment for your loved one's needs.
Option #1: Nursing Home
The Pros
- Medical Professionals On Duty - Nursing homes offer the benefit of employing qualified nurses and physicians to provide your loved one with round the clock medical care. This fact makes a nursing home the ideal environment for individuals who are recovering from a serious illness, injury, or surgery.
- Long Term Or Short Term Care - Not all nursing home residents will require a high level of care over an extended period of time. Consequently, these facilities will typically offer both long term and short term care options. This is perfect for individuals who plan to return home or to the home of a family member once their condition improves.
The Cons
- Limited Social Opportunities - Most of the residents in a nursing home will have serious medical problems. Consequently, there is not much room for social interaction amongst residents. Limited visiting hours can also make it difficult to socialize with family members.
- Limited Privacy - In order to provide round the clock care, the nursing staff will need to have easy access to all of the residents. This typically means providing hospital-like rooming conditions rather than providing each resident with their own private space.
Option #2: Assisted Living Community
The Pros
- Allows For Maximum Independence - Not all seniors will require the same level of care. In order to allow each resident to enjoy as much independence as possible, all of the services offered by these communities will vary from one resident to the next. For instance, while some residents will receive in-home assistance each day, others may choose to only take advantage of the services which are offered outside of their home. This type of flexibility allows all seniors to remain as independent as possible while still receiving the services that they need.
- A True Sense Of Community - Many seniors find themselves feeling isolated as it becomes more and more difficult for them to get around on their own. An assisted living community eliminates this problem by providing residents with many opportunities to socialize with one another withing the community, as well as helping them to stay active in the community. For instance, most independent living communities will offer a community center that allows for daily interaction amongst residents and also allows for larger community events.
The Cons
- Limited Medical Care - The day-to-day care provided by these communities will typically focus on basis tasks, such as bathing and performing household chores. While many assisted living communities will offer access to basic medical care through the use of in-home care services, these communities are not designed to care for seriously ill residents.
- Limited Insurance Coverage - Due to the fact that assisted living communities are not focused on providing medical care, many insurance policies will not provide coverage for this type of senior care. This can be a serious problem for some seniors who are living on a fixed income.
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