There are countless benefits of staying in your own home as long as possible as you age. Certainly, you want to be in a comfortable and familiar place where you still have some control over your schedule, your meals, your belongings and other lifestyle decisions. Your home also has memories and those personal touches you may have worked for years to achieve.
Nevertheless, when your health starts declining, staying in your home alone may not be the best option for you. If you have surgery planned or worry about the possibility of a degenerative condition in your future, thinking about your options now is a wise move, especially if your goal is to postpone going into a Connecticut nursing facility.
How in-home care works
According to some studies, about half of all residents in nursing facilities could be in their own homes if they had the option of home care. In many cases, staying home helps aging people maintain a more optimistic outlook and better overall health.
Home care allows you to remain in your home and receive whatever level of assistance you need from care providers. For some, it may be as simple as having someone visit you at mealtime. Others may need nursing assistance after an injury or operation. The options available include:
- Calling or making a well-being checkup, with response teams on call in case of emergency
- Helping with healthy meal plans, grocery shopping and cooking
- Cleaning your house, making repairs or helping you with your bills
- Attending to your personal needs, including getting in and out of the bathtub, dressing, exercising and getting to your appointments
You may not need all of these services, or you may need more skilled assistance, such as physical therapy, in-home treatments, administering medication or monitoring any health conditions you have. A nurse or doctor may come to your home for these reasons.
While in-home care is often less expensive than spending time in a nursing home or rehabilitation center, the cost of any long-term care can quickly become unmanageable without careful planning. If it is your goal to stay home as long as your health allows, you would do well to understand all of your options and begin planning as early as possible. An experienced and compassionate attorney can guide you and advocate for your best interests along the way.