Many of us do not want to live in a care home or nursing home as we age or begin to live with certain medical conditions. The thought of leaving your lifelong home where you raised your family and made so many memories then moving to an institution with other elderly people can be terrifying. Personalisation is limited, even amongst the finest care homes. Life is compromised when you live in a communal setting. You have to follow strict routines about when to eat and what time to go to bed. This is even more difficult if you are living with Alzheimer’s or Dementia.
There are other options; perhaps you might want to continue living in your own home with extra help from a carer who will visit you, make sure you get your medication, help you with personal care, cooking and other household tasks. There are companies such as Guardian Carers who provide carers who can live with you 24 hours a day 7 days a week in your own home.
Immediacy
Some medical conditions can present with little or no notice. With the best will in the world, families and friends may struggle with care provision for all but the shortest of time periods. As such, many people find themselves suddenly presented with a situation in which they are forced to come up with a care solution, whether for the short term or on an on-going basis.
Care Options
Whilst the immediate reaction to the need for an immediate care plan may be to consider a place in a residential care facility, the economics of so doing can very quick decimate a lifetime's worth of savings and equity in the home. Residential care may provide you with the help and support you need but it could come at a price which will mean your loved ones will have little or nothing to inherit. Moreover, making the painful decision to sell your home isn't going to provide an immediate solution. The sale process will take time, not to mention the associated heartbreak of rationalising your belongings and perhaps re-homing beloved pets.
In-Home Care
Compare the above with a scenario in which you receive precisely the care you require from an experienced, trustworthy, highly trained care professional with whom you soon form a strong bond and friendship. This is the model provided by reputable agencies such as Guardian Carers. With a wide range of options from which to choose, care provision can range from relatively low-level periodic help in the form of day visits through to extensive 24/7 care from a live-in carer.
The matching process is specifically designed to elicit the best possible match in terms of not only skills but essential personality attributes and shared interests. Essential pre-screening such as DBS checks and verification of professional training and accreditation is handled on your behalf, freeing you to focus on the 'soft' elements of personality, in addition to agreeing the specific care regime appropriate to your circumstances.
And all of this comes at a dramatically lower cost than any form of residential care.