Can I Move From a Care Home To Live-in Care? – Live-in Care Services Explained
Are you considering changing from a retirement home to live-in care at home? Do you or your loved one struggle to adjust to the transition from living in the comfort of your own home to sharing a space with others? Or are you just considering your senior care options?
Do not assume that once you have decided to move or place a senior in a nursing home, your way back for you is closed! The elderly struggle to get used to the shock of being moved to an assisted living home, so they often return to live-in care at home, which gives them a sense of independence and comfort. So, let’s find out more about this and make an informed decision!
Live-in care at home vs. nursing home for the elderly
To begin with, it is worth dwelling on the question of definitions and the advantages and disadvantages of the two most important forms of assistance for seniors, namely live-in care at home and moving into a retirement home.
Live-in care for the elderly
Live-in care services consist of a qualified professional moving in with the seniors to support them with their daily chores, watch over their health and safety, and provide companionship and mental support. It is, therefore, a way of ensuring comprehensive and personalised round-the-clock one-on-one care seven days a week.
Providing live-in care at home for a senior loved one enables them to live comfortably in their own home and environment, without having to change their habits and lifestyle or abandon their beloved pets, which we know is particularly difficult for the elderly. Live-in care services ensure that older people receive the highest quality practical and physical support, as well as mental guidance. In this way, a senior who is already facing age-related limitations and changes do not have to experience the additional stress, loneliness and discomfort associated with a change of environment.
Live-in care at home – the main responsibilities of the carer
A professional caregiver for the elderly does not come to work from 9 am to 5 pm to make up their hours. Such a person does much more. Live-in carers fulfil the role of maid, chef, friend, home help, chauffeur and confidant, and very often become the closest person for lonely seniors.
Live-in carer’s duties may include:
cooking
shopping
driving to medical appointments and other activities
providing personal safety
first aid
reminding people to take their medication
help with getting dressed
shared activities
cleaning
Care home for the elderly
We have already discussed what live-in care services for the elderly are all about, so now it is worth considering what seniors get out of moving to a care home. Care homes are facilities that employ people with medical training and professional carers to look after a certain group of seniors. They have the advantage of working with doctors, but it is worth bearing in mind that such professionals are not available around the clock. Nursing homes allow seniors to have a sense of community with other older people who share their experiences, but such people often complain that outsiders are too intrusive in their daily lives and that they lack their own space.
This is not to say that it is a low-quality help, but it is worth remembering that it is not a good option for everyone. In nursing homes, seniors cannot count on mental support and one-on-one assistance. It is not because of a lack of goodwill on the part of the staff there, but because it is not physically possible to devote time to each of the dozen or more residents. Therefore, seniors who cannot easily relate to strangers often complain of loneliness and do not want to stay at home care.
A second disadvantage of this type of assistance is the aforementioned issue of a complete change of environment. When a senior moves to a care home, they have to leave their old life, habits, friends, pets and surroundings behind and adapt to the rules of the facility, which can be extremely challenging.
Is the transfer from a nursing home to live-in care at home possible?
Of course, it is! The reverse is also feasible! Therefore, if the person you care for cannot cope with the change of environment, the new rules and lifestyle, and their mental health is deteriorating, do not torment them, but let them choose the support that suits them. We know that stepping back from a decision can be difficult and sometimes money-consuming, but the senior’s welfare and comfort should come first.
It is better to try other support options, especially those that are ecologically sound for the elderly psyche, such as live-in care services, rather than pestering and forcing them to stay at home care if they do not feel happy and cared for there. To do so would only exacerbate their health and spirits, which are already strained by the changes and limitations associated with the ageing process.
