Elderly Loved Ones and Care: 3 Factors to Help You Decide Whether Nursing Care Is Best

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As your parents age, you may wonder about the logistics of elder care. While the decision can be difficult to make, waiting doesn't make it any less so. Below are common reasons that many families choose nursing home care for their aging loved ones and how these reasons can help you decide between in-home care and a nursing facility.

1. Raising a Family

If you're raising a family, you may worry about taking on the extra care tasks that come with caring for an elderly parent. While you have good intentions, it's important to consider your spouse and children while deciding between in-home care and a nursing home.

If your aging parent needs round-the-clock care, you have to ask yourself whether that's feasible with your current family schedule and commitments. Are there things you'd be willing to cut back on? If not, how could you be sure your aging parent was well cared for? For this reason alone, many people opt to use the services of a nursing home to care for their elderly parent.

2. Health Issues That May Be Too Much to Handle

There's a reason your aging parent cannot live on their own. This could be as simple as reduced mobility, or as complex as a progressive medical disorder, such as Alzheimer's.

When deciding between caring for your loved one at home or moving them to a nursing facility, consider the health issues they're currently dealing with and those which could spring up in the future. While you may intend to utilize in-home nursing services, remember that medicare doesn't cover the cost of 24-hour care. This means that if you choose to care for your loved one at home, you could be footing a very large bill each month.

3. Quality of Life

Many believe that as people age, their quality of life decreases. There are many nursing homes that work hard to provide their residents with the best quality of life possible, and it may be more than you can offer them at home.

Nursing homes offer a range of entertainment and social options for their residents. From game nights to movie nights, your aging parent will have a place to socialize with a wide range of individuals. While there are senior centers in many communities, you have to consider how often you'd be able to transport your parent there and whether it's possible for them to participate considering their health issues.  

While the decision to move your elderly parent to a nursing home is more involved than the three reasons listed above, they offer a good place to start when considering your options. If you're unsure of the services offered to the elderly in your community, call around to local nursing homes like i Senior Solutions to learn more about them and to make a more informed decision. 


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