Home care can seem like an obvious solution, but before you commit, ensure it’s the right choice for you.
“Staying happy and healthy at home is what we all want,” says Shannon Saunders, General Manager of Sunridge Gardens Seniors Community in Langley for the past 13 years. “Bringing in a care aid or home support worker can enable a senior to continue to live independently. But it’s only a good solution if it improves your quality of life.”
Consider these pros and cons of staying in your family home with the help of home support.
PRO: Extend your independence
“Many of our residents have regular visits from care aides. It allows them to continue to enjoy living here without leaning too heavily on their children or moving to an assisted living or long-term care community,” explains Shannon. “Getting help with bathing, dressing, or medication can make all the difference.”
CON: Enables unhealthy lifestyle choices
While your family home may be full of happy memories, those memories are no substitute for a vibrant social life, a healthy diet, and opportunities to stay mentally and physically fit. “It’s a quality of life issue,” says Shannon. “Often home health care visits just aren’t enough to meet all your wellness needs.”
PRO: Support after an illness
“Often, it’s a medical issue that results in getting home care for the first time,” notes Shannon. Home care support may be part of your recovery plan in a medical emergency involving a hospital visit. “The goal is to get you home, healthy and back into your routine; visits from a care aid really help,” says Shannon.
CON: Inconsistent caregivers
“My experience is that often there’s a rotating door of care aides dropping by when it’s convenient for them,” says Shannon. By contrast, she notes, “Those who choose a retirement community like ours tend to really bond with our team. Our staff become extensions of their family support system and are there when they need them.”
PRO: Respite for family caregivers
“The pressure of caregiving takes a real toll on spouses and adult children and really changes family dynamics,” says Shannon. Visits from a paid caregiver can help relieve the burden of family members who are supporting the senior as they live at home.
CON: Poor substitute for family & friends
“A senior who gets a couple of visits from a paid support worker but is otherwise alone is not in a healthy living situation,” says Shannon. Isolation can be deadly. In contrast, having a wide variety of friendships and relationships boosts overall health and wellness.
Home care could be the right solution for you, but it’s not the only solution,” reflects Shannon. “Do everything possible to ensure your lifestyle choices don’t just maintain your quality of life but actually improve it!”
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