Older adults often consider moving to an assisted living facility (ALF) because they require assistance in daily activities or find it difficult to do basic household chores. ALFs offer several private housing choices, ranging from a room to an apartment or even a cottage. Older adults who live entirely alone or do not have family members nearby may see an ALF as a way to form new friendships, discover new interests without having to worry about cooking, cleaning, or doing laundry.
While ALFs have their advantages, some seniors don’t prefer to leave the comfort of their homes and settle in a new environment. However, due to chronic illnesses or other age factors, it may become difficult to live independently without any help. That’s when live-in caregivers become a better alternative.
Live-in Care
Live-in care means having a fully trained and professional caregiver living with you in your home. Your live-in caregiver will assist you with your daily activities to make you feel comfortable at home. The live-in caregiver can be a personal care assistant (PCA), home health aide (HHA), certified nursing assistant (CNA), or other trained providers.
Seniors can get help for almost everything at home, from household chores to medical care. Most importantly, live-in caregivers allow older adults to maintain their independence by living in their own home with someone who handles daily duties and provides constant companionship.
Types of Live-in Care
There are three different types of live-in caregiving services:
1) Live-in Caregiving: In this situation, the caregiver works for 4-5 days every week to provide 24-hour care to the older adults. The caregiver is given a specific time to sleep or rest during the day or night.
2) 24-hour Caregiving: This type of live-in care involves two or three caregivers who work in the older adults’ home to provide 24-hour care.
3) Overnight/Daytime Caregiving: In this type of live-in care, the caregiver assists the older adults either in the daytime or overnight as per the need.
Live-in Care: An Alternative to Assisted Living
Most older adults prefer to stay at their homes instead of living in a strange and new environment. Many people are opting for live-in caregiving options instead of ALFs. Find out how live-in caregiving can be a better alternative to ALF:
Medical Care: Live-in caregivers have relevant medical training or certification and work under the supervision of a nurse. These caregivers can assist the older adults with medical monitoring and immediately call for help if the seniors are in severe medical distress.
Personal Care: A live-in caregiver can also help the older adults with their personal care requirements, including bathing, eating, maintaining hygiene, dressing, or keeping track of medicines.
Home Care: Live-in caregivers can assist with daily household chores like preparing meals, cleaning, laundry, housekeeping, etc.
Companionship: Many older adults live alone in their homes because their families are usually away. Live-in caregiving gives them an excellent opportunity to have a companion at home 24/7.
One-on-one Care: ALFs usually have on-site caregiving staff that divides their attention and time between different residents. In contrast, a live-in caregiver provides personalized, one-on-one care to the older adults, so they don’t have to wait for their turn.
Costs and Compensation
The live-in caregiver usually charges a flat rate for their services. Older adults don’t have to pay additional costs like paying for the rent as they own their homes. In contrast, many ALFs have a move-in fee and other expenses depending upon different packages, including transportation, meals, housekeeping, rooms, etc.
There are various payment options available for live-in caregiving services. These options include Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran’s Assistance, Long-Term Care Insurance, or Reverse Mortgages.
The Bottom Line:
Seniors usually find this care more favorable and suitable when comparing it to assisted living. Live-in care allows older adults to live independently in the comfort of their homes. At ActiveCare Home Care, we provide the most dependable live-in caregiving services. Contact us today for more information!