The Difference Between Nursing And Residential Care
Aging is an irreversible fact of life and it can bring disabilities and other obstacles with it. These obstacles can be a bit difficult to overcome on your own. This is why many of the elderly seek assistance in performing their daily activities. When you decide to seek assistance, one of the major decisions you’ll have to make is whether to avail of care services or go to a nursing home. What’s the difference between the two and which is the better option? Read on to find out.
Nursing and Residential Care Defined
Nursing homes are private facilities where you’re provided with the necessary care along with other elderly patients. Many people consider this the most practical solution, especially if the need for assistance is high. The nursing home staff helps you with practically everything, from preparing your meals to bathing you and administering the medications you may need. Support is provided round the clock.
Residential care, also known as home care, involves hiring a nurse or professional caregiver to care for you in your own home. The type and degree of assistance you get will depend on your specific needs. The medical professional could come to your home according to an agreed schedule or he/she could stay in your home if 24-hour assistance is needed. Another option for residential care is to reside in a facility where you get to live in your own home within a single compound or community with other patients as your neighbors.
Nursing and Residential Care: Comparison of Cost
A lot of people hesitate to go into a nursing home because of the high cost it entails. When you give it some serious thought, however, you’ll realize that there are instances where a nursing home is actually the less costly option. Home care is only advisable if the necessary assistance is minimal – cooking, running errands, etc.-and you can still pretty much take care of yourself. If you need help with almost all aspects of your daily routines and you have scheduled medications, then it may be more practical to avail of the services of a nursing home.
Nursing and Residential Care: Comfort and Care Quality
Of course, most people would feel a lot more comfortable receiving care in his or her own home and if you can afford to make some major modifications to your house in order to accommodate your special needs (particularly if you have mobility issues), then this may be the best option for you. As regards the quality of nursing and residential care, however, we can’t really say one option is better than the other because no two professional caregivers are exactly alike just as no two nursing homes are alike.
So, which type of care should you choose when the time of need comes? The answer will depend on the resources you have as well as the extent of care necessary. There are no hard and fast rules in this case and this decision has to be made on a case-by-case basis.