The Pros and Cons of in-Home Health Care for Seniors

Choosing the right care option for an aging loved one is difficult and can often be fraught when the person who needs care has no desire to leave their current place of residence in order to move into a care or retirement facility. In cases like this, in-home health care can be a possible solution, but it's not the right option for everyone. If you're considering in-home health care for yourself or a loved one, here are a few of the pros and cons to help you make the right decision.  

PROS  

Care In Comfort

The most obvious benefit of in-home healthcare is that it makes it possible to receive care right in your home, a place where people typically feel the most comfortable. This is especially beneficial to those who find medical facilities too sterile or too intimidating and might avoid care altogether just so they don't have to visit a clinic or hospital. Instead, with in-home care, medical experts provide care in a safe place that is most comfortable.  

Accessibility

Another major advantage that in-home health care provides is immediate accessibility. For those with mobility issues, not every medical facility is easy to travel to and there can be additional mobility challenges once the patient arrives, things like curbs, stairs, and ramps. It's a major challenge for those that need immediate care but struggle with mobility. However, when care comes to the patient's home, this problem can be completely eliminated.  

Personalized Care

When medical care is already in the home, patients receive the kind of personalized care that is often hard to find. Medical facilities are more expansive than ever, often with a large staff of doctors and nurses. A common complaint among seniors is feeling like just a number on a chart rather than a human being. In-home care is always personal.  

CONS  

Costs

The most obvious drawback of receiving in-home care is that it's not always cheap to pay for quality live-in medical care, especially if the patient is paying out of pocket. However, there are financial assistance programs that can help reduce some of these costs like insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, VA programs, or tax deductions.  

Lack of Privacy

For some patients, privacy is more important than convenience. Some would prefer to travel to a medical facility once in a while or move into a care facility with a private room and on-site medical facilities rather than give up the privacy they enjoy in their own private space.

To learn more about in-home health care options, contact a local company such as MARSCare.


Share