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Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?
Caregiving

Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

When given the option between convalescing at home and in a nursing home, most people prefer to remain at home and age in place. Besides the familiarity, home is the place where people have lived their lives and created memories with friends and family. Even the smallest house is often viewed by the senior as a comfortable setting that is well-suited for their personal belongings, pets and visitors. Many seniors create a support network of friends and family close to home, and aging in place makes it easier for beneficial bonds to remain strong. The positive emotional bond people have often helps speed their recovery, as long as they receive the therapeutic and support services they require. Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?
Both nursing homes and home care agencies provide the resources and services to increase comfort and assist recovery. They both have the common goal of helping your loved one with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and promoting healthy longevity.

Nursing Home Care

Nursing homes provide around-the-clock medical and non-medical care to a population that is primarily elderly or disabled. Facilities are staffed with aides, nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs), along with others who provide emotional support, enrichment activities, physical and occupational therapy and pharmacy services. All nursing homes have immediate access to physicians though few have a physician in-house, around the clock. They have full-time kitchens and housekeeping staff, and some provide transportation with vans or buses. Institutional nursing homes normally have all their services under one roof or a short distance away. In-house social activities are planned for residents in all licensed nursing facilities. Many also have libraries, recreation areas and entertainment scheduled for holidays or special occasions.

Home Care

Licensed skilled nursing agencies care for home-bound individuals. They provide services ranging from companionship and cleaning to skilled nursing care. Visits to the home can be scheduled on an hourly basis, daily or overnight, as the need and budget allow. Most home care agencies also work to maintain consistent care and encourage bonding by scheduling the same nurses or caregivers with the same seniors whenever possible. Some seniors utilize these services immediately after discharge from the hospital, and many continue to access services on a longer-term basis once rehabilitation is complete. Families also benefit from homecare as it provides them with professional assistance called respite care so they can spend time away from their loved ones with confidence knowing the senior is in expert hands.

Final Considerations

Choosing between a nursing home and home care services can be a matter of physical needs or personal preference. The goal of each is to better the patient’s comfort level, and when possible, achieve independent living. Which you choose for yourself or a loved one needs to be thought through carefully based on physical and emotional needs as well as both short term and long term goals.

By Christine Day – While Christine’s main passion is nursing, on her off days she enjoys writing for Salus Homecare. Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?

Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?

Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference? Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference? Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference? Home Care vs. Nursing Homes: What’s the Difference?

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Estate Planning

Don’t Expect Medicare to Pay for Long-Term Care

by Carol Marak
written by Carol Marak

A recent survey funded by The SCAN Foundation found close to four in 10 Americans, age 40+, believe Medicare and Social Security will pay for long-term care. The need for continuing care services and support to assist with activities of daily living will increase as the population ages. The group will require help with cooking, bathing, grooming, shopping, managing medicines, and toileting.

Thirty-eight percent of the people surveyed in the 2016 Long-term Care in America report said they will rely on Medicare to pay. Correspondingly, 35% will count on Social Security and personal savings while 32% expects to depend on investments for support. Don’t Expect Medicare to Pay for Long-Term Care

Surprisingly, only two out of 10 older adults will use Medicaid to pay for their aging needs although it ranks as the largest public payer fo LTC, according to the Kaiser Commission. The misperceptions of long-term care payment options persist among Americans, but their ability to pay increased even though many put off planning for it. How and where individuals want care remains consistent to prior years.

Key findings of misperceptions

  • Older Americans prefer to receive care at home, and they want that care provided by family. However, family members say it’s not their preference due to travel distance and prefer the loved one to live with them.
  • Other places for desired care are in a senior community (11 percent), home of a friend or family (4 percent), or a nursing home (4 percent).
  • Men prefer to receive help from a spouse, and women want help from adult children.
  • For Americans with an annual income of $50,000 or less, they will likely count on government programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The others who enjoy a higher income expect to rely on personal savings and investments. However, the survey indicates that three in 10 of the upper-income Americans still report reliance on Medicare to help pay for care.
  • The general public wants to see more policies to help family caregivers face the price of giving care, with 72 percent supporting state programs for paid family leave at work, 83 percent support tax breaks, and 73 percent support a Social Security earnings credit for family members time out from the workforce.
  • Four in 10 family members report having missed work to provide long-term care to a loved one.
  • Close to one-third report having done no planning for long-term care needs.

 

On the political front, Democrats and Republicans approve some proposals to help Americans prepare for the costs of long-term care. How it plays out: 80 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of Republicans favor tax breaks to boost aging care savings. Plus, over 70 percent of both parties would approve tax breaks for individuals who buy long-term care insurance.

Equally, both sides favor a portable long-term care insurance model through their employer, similar to COBRA. And Republicans (71 percent and 68 percent Democrats) would permit non-taxable funds like retirement plans and 401(k)s to pay for LTC insurance premiums.

Don’t Expect Medicare to Pay for Long-Term Care

Don’t Expect Medicare to Pay for Long-Term Care Don’t Expect Medicare to Pay for Long-Term Care Don’t Expect Medicare to Pay for Long-Term Care Don’t Expect Medicare to Pay for Long-Term Care

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Tips For Choosing A Senior Living Community
Housing Tips

Tips For Choosing A Senior Living Community

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, retirement is defined as the act of withdrawing, going away, retreating. Tips For Choosing A Senior Living Community
When it comes to the modern definition of retirement – that glorious age where we can shed the 9 to 5 work responsibilities and live our lives to the fullest – some of those words in the traditional definition may apply.
Many seniors and boomers, who have been gainfully employed their entire lives, withdraw from the workforce to spend more time with their families, hobbies and other activities. Some choose to “go away” on trips they’ve always wanted to take, but never had the time to enjoy while working and raising a family. And many retirees “retreat” to senior living communities, where they can engage socially with others their age and get assistance, as needed, as they age.
Retirement communities can be a fabulous experience for seniors and boomers. In previous blogs, we’ve explored the benefits of choosing to downsize and move into a retirement community. To recap, the benefits of choosing a retirement community are numerous: save money on living expenses; save time on household chores; opportunity for social interaction and group social activities; on-site skilled care if needed. Tips For Choosing A Senior Living Community
We know the benefits of choosing to downsize into a retirement community; however, not all communities are created equal. Some senior communities are larger than others, and there can be pros and cons to both the large communities and the smaller ones. Tips For Choosing A Senior Living Community

Living Large

Just about every major city has at least one larger retirement community. Some are so large – with 400, 800 or even 1,000-plus residents – and offer so many amenities that they carry the moniker “retirement resort.”
There are many advantages to a larger retirement community. Tips For Choosing A Senior Living Community
If you are among the seniors and boomers who are in excellent health and wish to remain active and busy in retirement, a larger retirement community is probably best suited to your needs. Because they are serving such a large population, these retirement communities are overflowing with the kinds of amenities active seniors crave.
Enjoy swimming or taking a variety of exercise classes? Many larger retirement communities have these kinds of facilities right on their campus, along with the qualified staff members capable of teaching seniors how to improve or maintain their physical fitness.
Group outings with other members of the community also are a common amenity of larger senior retirement communities. These can include nights out at the local theater to weeklong vacations in Europe.
Some larger retirement communities may even have golf courses located on their property that is exclusive to residents and their guests.
Most retirement communities of all sizes offer transportation to surrounding areas; however, larger retirement communities may offer more frequent routes to a variety of locations due to the increased number of residents they are serving.
Perhaps one of the most notable perks of a large retirement community is the variety in housing options seniors can select. From studio apartments to multiple-bedroom condos, seniors are able to select the size, type and features associated with their new home.
Sounds great, right? While larger retirement communities undoubtedly have a lot of items in the plus column, those amenities and features come with a price tag. For some seniors and boomers, the higher cost will not be an issue. For others, however, it may put these kinds of retirement communities out of the running.

Smaller Can Sometimes Be Better

If cost is an issue – or if you are someone who simply doesn’t need a gazillion different activities and features to be happy in retirement – than smaller retirement communities may be more ideal.
Smaller retirement communities have that cozy look and feel, which can be important to seniors and boomers who wish to be social with others of the same age group, but not overwhelmed by so many residents that it is difficult to make new friendships and remember people’s names. Some larger communities can be difficult to navigate, so for seniors who want to keep it simple, smaller may be the way to go.
Just because they are small doesn’t mean they don’t offer activities to keep residents busy and to help facilitate social opportunities. Bingo, movies, and other featured programs abound at most retirement communities, regardless of size.
Seniors probably will not find the same kind of options for housing at smaller communities, but that isn’t always a bad thing. There are benefits to “living small,” including cleaning being much easier to accomplish and curbing impulse purchases due to smaller living quarters.

Making the Right Choice

If you are unsure of which kind of community most appeals to you and your specific retirement needs and dreams, take some time to visit both so you have a complete picture of your options.
Regardless of whether seniors choose a large community or a cozy community, there are benefits to downsizing to a senior community that can be found at both. They include:

  • Safety and peace of mind – big or small, retirement communities provide residents with the assurance that their safety and security is top on the list of amenities featured. From gated access to security guards and key-card locked residences, senior communities of all sizes go above and beyond to protect their residents.
  • Fewer home maintenance issues – as we age, performing even the most routine home maintenance chores can be tedious and even dangerous. In retirement communities of all sizes, gone are the days of mowing the grass, snow removal and fixing leaking pipes or other broken appliances.
  • Aging in place – most retirement communities offer residents the ability to age in place, providing continuing care for all stages of life.

Want to learn more about downsizing and the benefits of retirement communities? Check out one of our upcoming Upside of Downsizing conferences.

By Mary Spann

Mary Spann is the founder and president of Upside of Downsizing®. In addition to her 26 years in construction, interior design, and home staging, Mary also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, making her uniquely qualified to assist with the downsizing process. Mary learned the key components of construction and interior design at an early age. Her father was a prominent custom home builder in Minnesota and Texas, and her mother was a successful interior designer and a real estate broker.

Tips For Choosing A Senior Living Community

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