Best Alternatives To Care Homes For Seniors

One day every person faces the dilemma of how to arrange care for elderly parents. It is inevitable. That is why it is a good idea to find out beforehand what options you have to help your loved ones when the need arises.

Find out about the best alternatives to care homes available at an affordable price. Discover affordable home care for the elderly in their own home and find out the cost of how much does living in a carer cost. With this information you will be able to provide the best help for your parents and family – we guarantee!

How to arrange care for elderly parents?

It is helpful to do the following before deciding on support for your ageing parent or loved one.

Recognise your senior’s actual needs

Before you set out to help, you should get an idea of the situation, wishes and state of health of the person concerned. Have a frank conversation (or several) with the senior and observe them closely.

Then talk to the doctor and find out what should be done from a medical point of view and what the senior’s requirements are.

It is also worth keeping an eye on the condition of the home and the senior’s appearance. Look for signs such as a scruffy appearance, neglected personal hygiene or dirty home. These are tell-tale signs that what kind of help your parents require.

Consider your options

You already have a clear picture of your senior’s situation and needs. What now? How to arrange care for elderly parents? Sometimes a loved one’s condition allows him or her to live independently, and the senior only needs help with heavy shopping or a lift. In this case, you can help them yourself, if time permits, or offer to do the shopping with a delivery or uber. In most cases, however, seniors need more time and support that we do not have the time, capacity and energy to provide.

That’s when it’s worth considering other ways to care for elderly parents. We can choose between a care home or hiring a caregiver on a permanent basis. Employing a live-in carer in the UK is the most popular option because a care home is expensive and subject to the shock of a change of environment. But more on that in a moment.

Top alternatives to care homes

Moving to an assisted living home is a huge cost and a shock to the elderly person. Older people then lose their familiar surroundings and community and are forced to adjust the lifestyle they have developed over the years to the conditions of an institution. It is, therefore, the last resort.

Fortunately, this is not the only option, so let us tell you about the three best alternatives to care homes – part-time assisted living, moving in with a family member, and the most popular option, live-in care in the UK.

Part-time assistance – housekeeping and cleaning services

First comes part-time assistance. Such assistance consists of a selected person or company visiting the senior citizen once or several times a week for a few hours.

This option is only recommended for active and relatively healthy seniors, as part-time assistance usually consists of housekeeping, bringing shopping and cleaning. It is not a live-in care professional who watches over meals and doctor’s appointments or provides companionship. However, such help is also important, although you will probably need to reconsider other options, such as an assisted living home or companionship care, as time goes by.

Senior moving in with family — an option for a chosen few

Another of the best alternatives to care homes is to offer the seniors to move in with themselves or other family members. This option is available to a select few. After all, not many people have the time, energy or space to take someone in under their roof. Besides, such a solution does not necessarily deal with the problem of helping the senior citizen with personal hygiene or companionship, as you may not have the time to do this at work and the senior might not feel comfortable in such a situation.

Home care for the elderly in their own home – UK’s top choice

The market for live-in care in the UK is huge. And for good reason. After all, with an ageing population, such services are at a premium. In our opinion, it is the best alternative to placing a senior citizen in an assisted living home.

Why is this a recommended option? The reasons are many. Firstly, live-in care means comprehensive assistance to the senior 24/7. Such a person watches over the senior’s health and well-being at all times.

By hiring a good live-in care professional, you can be sure that your senior is safe. In addition, you know that your loved one always has company and assistance with daily tasks. That way, you know that your ageing parent has a tidy home, clean clothes, and a fridge full of produce and tasty meals.

Convinced? Are you wondering: how much does living in carer cost? Surprisingly, the cost of employing such a professional is at least twice as much as a place in a senior care home – averaging £800-900 per month.

Live-in care in the UK – entrust your loved ones to professionals

Hiring a live-in care professional is by far the best way to provide comprehensive care for your loved ones. That is, of course, if you come across the right person. So don’t rely on luck, rather trust a reliable agency of live-in carers in the UK to scan and check the credentials of the person you will entrust the fate of your relatives.