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The Cost of Senior Living Versus In-Home Care

“Can I afford senior living?” “Isn’t it cheaper to stay at home instead of moving to a senior living community?” “I’m still capable enough, why would I need to move into a senior community?” These are common questions we hear. In today’s guest blog post, Clare Quirin from Senior Living Experts is providing information on this complex issue that may help you or your family make this decision.

You or your loved one may be deciding between in-home care and senior living. Most of the time, this decision is highly influenced by cost and preference. There are benefits to both living situations, but the cost depends on how many hours of care that you need at home. The advisors at Senior Living Experts have broken down the cost of both senior living and in-home care for you.

What is in-home care?

In-home care allows you or your loved one to stay in their home and have a Certified Nursing Assistant or caregiver come to your home, and provide the care that you need. You will be able to choose how many hours of care you need, and which activities of daily living you need assistance with. These caregivers can help you with personal care, such as bathing, one person transfers, and toileting. They can also help you with transportation, emotional support, medication management, laundry and housekeeping, running errands, companionship, and more.

What is assisted living?

Assisted living is a type of care that offers personal care for residents in a house-like setting. The residents have 24/7 care available, and the caregivers can help with dressing, bathing, or any other personal care they may need. There are plenty of socialization opportunities available for the residents, along with activities planned such as excursions, games, movies, fitness classes, and educational classes like painting, woodworking, and drawing.

These residents typically require more hours of care, and may want to reside in a place with more socialization opportunities.

A Break Down of Cost

In-home care starts off as the most cost effective option, especially if you or your loved one owns their home. You will only need to pay for the care that you need. This is a great option for seniors who do not need that many hours of care, and want to continue living in their own home. Each hour of care averages to be about $25-$32 per hour.

At some point, depending on the number of hours your loved one needs assistance, and the number of days per week they need it, it may be advantageous at that point to transition to Assisted Living which becomes less expensive.

The Pros of In-Home Care and Senior Living

There are pros and cons to in-home care and senior living, and it is up to your loved one to determine which option they choose to be best. In-home care allows your senior to live in the comfort of their own home, and have one-on-one care with a caregiver. The senior can create a meaningful relationship with their caregiver that enriches both of their lives.

Senior living communities offer socialization options for their residents. The residents have multiple opportunities to make relationships with their peers, rather than being isolated in their home. Senior living communities also take a burden off the family, because they will not need to figure out the hiring and scheduling process with the caregiver. Once your loved one needs more hours of care and it makes more sense to be in an assisted living community, Senior Living Experts can assist with this transition.

The Cons of In-Home Care and Senior Living

The cost of in-home care can become high if your loved one needs more than eight hours of care per day. If you believe your loved one will eventually need more care as they age, we recommend that you look into senior living communities now. Additionally, in-home care requires the family to stay consistently involved with the seniors. The family will need to take the responsibility of managing the hiring and scheduling process with the caregiver if they choose to go with an unlicensed, uninsured, company, or service that will do that for you.

Moreover, socialization is extremely important for seniors. In-home care can take the socialization aspect away from them. Socialization keeps dementia and cognitive concerns at bay.

Senior living communities will have one caregiver taking care of 8-10 residents per shift, per caregiver. Additionally, if your loved one does not require many hours of care, this may be the more expensive option for your loved one. Senior Living Experts will help you discover the best scenario for your loved one.

What Do I Do Now?

If your loved one needs care immediately and will need more care in the future, in-home care is a great temporary option for you, as you take the time to figure out which senior living community is best for your loved one. Our advisors at Senior Living Experts can help you with this process in finding the perfect place for your loved one to reside, and we can help you determine which option is more cost effective for you.

Senior Living Experts is a senior referral service based out of Chicago, and it is our responsibility to know where to place your loved one. We will know where to place you or your loved one based on location, level of care, and cost. Contact us if you have any questions. We can be reached at 773-231-7212 or visit us at www.seniorlivingexperts.com.

Teri’s Corner

Summertime, and the livin’ ain’t always easy. Daily Herald. https://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20210711/summertime-and-the-livin-aint-always-easy

How A Patient Advocate Can Benefit Your Employees. Managing the health care of your elderly loved one. HR.com.https://www.hr.com/en/magazines/benefits_wellness_essentials/june_2021_employee_benefits_wellness_excellence/how-a-patient-advocate-can-benefit-your-employees_kqb9jfas.html

How many prescriptions are too many? Daily Herald. https://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20210703/how-many-prescriptions-are-too-many

If You Always Get Tongue-Tied at the Doctor, It’s Time to Work on Self-Advocacy—Here’s How. Real Simple.com.  https://www.realsimple.com/health/preventative-health/self-advocacy-at-doctor-appointments