There are many reasons that would necessitate getting your loved one specialized help. While you may wish to take care of your elderly, sick, or disabled loved one, it is not always possible to be with them 24/7 without sacrificing something in your life. That is usually the primary reason most people consider putting their loved ones who need specialized care in nursing homes. While this may help solve many of your problems, it comes with some underlying demerits.
Demerits of putting your loved one in a nursing home
Unless your loved one requires 24/7 care, particularly medical care, there are disadvantages to putting them in a nursing home. They include;
- Nursing home costs tend to be more expensive than Home Care costs.
- You have to take into account a transition time before your loved one is comfortable in the nursing home. This period can be very uncomfortable for them.
- Studies have shown the prevalence of depression in nursing homes. One study estimated that one in every two patients suffered some form of a depressive episode in long-term care facilities. Many explanations are suggested, but one major is that they have taken those in these homes from their familiar environments, which can be traumatizing.
- You cannot compare the quality given to a caregiver caring for one patient to caregivers tasked with helping multiple patients.
Advantages of home care
While there is a place and time for nursing home care, there are some advantages associated with home care that should not be ignored. They include;
1. Your loved one can maintain some levels of normalcy
Think about being asked to leave a neighborhood you have lived in for many years, leaving your home, friends, and routines. Unless it is absolutely necessary, it may be too much to ask your loved one to give up if they can get help while still maintaining their environment.
2. Your loved ones will lose their independence.
A study found that more senior citizens fear losing their independence than those that fear death. Upon meeting with the caregivers of the person in need of care, a home care provider will inquire what help the person needs. They will help them take care of those needs and let them have some form of independence by doing the things they can still do.
3. Your loved ones get personalized care.
You cannot compare the level of care that your loved one will get in a nursing home and their home. In a nursing home, they task the caregivers with taking care of several patients. Given that there are only so many hours in a day, they have to divide their attention among the patients, and sometimes some patients will need more care.
Compare this to when your loved one has their own caregiver. This caregiver focuses all their attention on your loved one alone. They can understand them better, learn their needs, routines, and habits and make them comfortable by tailoring their care to the patient. Additionally, if your loved one and the caregiver get along, your loved one will not only have gained a caregiver but a friend they can rely on.
4. Your loved one is more secure.
Nursing homes will put in place blanket security measures to meet most patients’ needs at the same time. A home care provider will put security measures in place that cater specifically to your loved one.
Conclusion
There may be times when taking a patient to a nursing home makes more sense than keeping your loved one at home. However, unless it is absolutely necessary, you should aim to keep your loved one in the environment they are comfortable in and get a home caregiver to take care of their needs in that environment.