There is no magical age when a senior may need help. There are many 90-year-olds who live at home and need very little help. On the other hand, there are 60 and 70-year olds who find their ability to live independently waning. It’s a hard reality for adult sons and daughters to face:  when is it time to become a caregiver yourself, get help in the home, or move your parents to a nursing home or assisted living facility?

Let’s explore the pros and cons of each living situation so you can make an informed decision about what is best.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Home Care
How often we have heard seniors say: “If you move me to a nursing home I will crawl up and die.”  The major advantage of home health care is that seniors get to “age in place” among their friends and surroundings that make them feel secure and happy. They can maintain their freedom. The main problems with staying at home is they may need help with cleaning, meal preparation, driving, grooming and other tasks.

However, if seniors need a little help, there are various options available:

• Enlist friends or family. The chore of being a caregiver shouldn’t rest on one person’s shoulders. Enlist family or friends to help with tasks your aging parents find challenging. Many religious communities or organizations have volunteers who can help with driving and preparing nutritious meals. Or you can have meals delivered into the home.
• Hire in–home care. Home health care agencies such as FirstLight Home Care have compassionate caregivers who can come into the home on a part-time, hourly or 24/7 basis. We provide different levels of care, from companion care to personal care to dementia care. This can provide you with peace of mind knowing that someone is there to pinch hit for you. In some cases the home care costs can be reimbursed by Medicare, Veteran’s aid or other sources.
• Remote monitoring. Remote devices are now available for both emergency situations or to remind your loved ones to take their medication. Web based tools are often available so you can know your parent’s schedules and communicate with any caregivers.

If your parents want to stay in their home, make sure it is as safe as possible because falls are quite common. Do a home maintenance checklist to make sure any hazards such as loose rugs are removed. Also, it may be easier if grab bars are installed in bathrooms.

Another advantage of home care costs is it is less expensive than nursing home costs.

Other Senior Care Housing Options
According to a study by Clarity, seniors fear moving into a nursing home more than they fear death, mainly because of the institutional feeling and loss of freedom.  However, depending on the level of care that is needed, this may be the only option.

There are many different types of senior homes, all providing different services and levels of care Medicare describes them as follows:

• Group homes or board and care homes. Adults live in a home with 10 – 12 people their own age and get assistance with bathing, dressing, and using the bathroom.
• Subsidized senior housing. If your loved one has a very moderate income, there are federal and state programs that help pay for housing. Additionally, there may be help with meals and other activities like housekeeping, shopping, and doing the laundry. Residents usually live in their own apartments in the complex. Rent payments are usually a percentage of your income (a sliding scale).
• Assisted living facilities generally mean that your loved one has his/her own apartment within a building or a group of buildings, but can get help with meals, transportation, cleaning and social activities. Some of these facilities have health services on site. You pay a monthly fee for rent and utilities and a separate fee for any extras.
• Retirement Communities.  The beauty of this type of community is they usually have different living options and progressive levels of care. In other words, you can start out in your own home and progress to skilled nursing care when and if you need it. Many retirement communities charge a large fee before you move in plus a monthly maintenance fee.
• Skilled Nursing Facilities. If your loved one needs 24/7 care, skilled nursing facilities have nurses and doctors on site.
• Hospice Care. Ordinarily for the terminally ill (who have six months or left to live), these facilities primarily make patient’s comfortable and provide counseling for the family. As part of hospice care, you will have a team of doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers, counselors and trained volunteers to help you and your family cope with your illness. Depending on your condition, you may get hospice care in a hospice facility, hospital, or nursing home.
• Program For All Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE). PACE manages all of the medical, social, and long-term care services for frail people to remain in their homes and to maintain their quality of life. PACE is available only in states that have chosen to offer it under Medicaid. To qualify for PACE you must be 55 or older, live in the area they have a PACE program, ad receive certification from your physician that you need nursing home care.

The problem with the services listed above is that unless it’s a government program or you have long-term insurance, this type of care can get expensive.

The most important questions are: How much care do my loved one’s need and how can we meet these needs considering out budget and lifestyles?  Then you as a group can best determine what type of long term care would be the best!

Learn more about how FirstLight’s care services can work as an alternative to nursing homes or other senior living facilities.

At FirstLight Home Care, we have provided hospice care for people who recover and rehabilitate and resume their normal lives. Basically hospice care can mean that dying is a possibility versus a guaranteed reality. Patients can go in and out of hospice care as needed.

What Is Hospice Care?
Hospice is indeed for those who have a limited life expectancy with the physician feeling that death could occur within the next six months. However, hospice care can be provided for longer than six months as long as the person’s doctor and hospice care team certify that the condition remains life-limiting. It’s not about trying to “cure” the disease, such as undergoing life-saving chemotherapy treatments. It’s more about a quality of life – ensuring that the patient is comfortable emotionally, physically and spiritually, and out of pain or distress until the end of life.

Understand that hospice is not always a place – it’s primarily a service although there are facilities dedicated solely to hospice. Hospice is usually conducted in home, or a long-term care facility, assisted living, retirement community, rest home or hospital. Hospice caregivers work to enhance the quality of life that is remaining so patients can be as alert and comfortable as possible in a familiar environment with family and friends. Usually a family member serves as the primary caregiver and a hospice team provides services as needed.

Although we often think of the term hospice care in connection with seniors, hospice can apply to anyone of any age with any illness.

What Services Does Hospice Provide?
Generally, a hospice interdisciplinary team (IDT) can provide a combination of the following services:

• Medical services provided under the care of a physician and nurse.
• Social services to advise families and act as a community advocate.
• Spiritual services provided b y a clergy in your designated religion.
• Home care services provided by home care agencies such as FirstLight to help with bathing, dressing, meal preparation and more.
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy to provide guidance on tasks that may have become cumbersome due to illness such as walking, talking and feeding.
• Respite care to provide your family caregiver with a break.
• Bereavement services to help surviving family members cope with the death of a loved one

Who Pays For Hospice?
If the patient has Medicare and meets the criteria for hospice, Medicare pays 100% of the costs with no deductible or co-payment. Even medical supplies, equipment and prescriptions are covered during this time. Individuals who are not on Medicare must talk to their private insurance company to see what is covered. Medicaid payments vary by state and The Department of Veteran Affairs covers hospice costs as well.

For hospice to be covered under Medicare, a physician must evaluate the patient and determine that he/she has less than six months to live if the illness is left to run its course. Patients must sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare benefits and receive care from a Medicare hospice approved hospice program. For more guidelines on Medicare coverage refer to Medicare Hospice Benefits.

How FirstLight Home Care Helps With Hospice Care
At FirstLight Home Care, our hospice services focus on compassionate care versus cure. Our caregivers work in tandem with physicians, social workers, nurses, and occupational and physical therapists to ensure patients are comfortable and peaceful and get the medical and physical support that is needed. If patients recover, we are elated! If not, we provide the assistance both patients and families need to have a comfortable quality of life when the length of life is limited.

Patients don’t need their last days to be in the cold, sterile environment of a hospital, preferring instead to be around family and friends that you love. At FirstLight Home Care, we make sure your loved ones last days are filled with love, dignity, purpose and support.