Greater Peoria Metro Area, IL

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Mom Needs Help

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By Linda Snyder, Senior Care Advocate, Villas of Hollybrook

When you’re a mom with a mother who needs extra help, you may start to feel overwhelmed. With childcare responsibilities, a job, and needing to help your mom out, you may feel stuck in the middle without anywhere to turn. While you want to give your mother what she needs, it’s important to know that you can’t do it all.

Many people find a need for either in-home care or an assisted living facility as they age. You may have a parent or know someone who is beginning to lose their ability to remain independent. Are they able to keep their home clean, run errands, perform basic chores, and drive to medical appointments? Do they need help bathing or getting dressed in the morning? Do you feel safe letting them cook by themselves? Do you have safety concerns? If they can’t do these things, you may be wondering what you can do. There are many options, but let’s compare home care and assisted living as our best options.

Home care is having a trained home health aide come into a senior’s home (whether it be a nursing home, assisted living, or private residence) to help for a few hours a day all the way up to 24/7 care. It is one-on-one care so that at any point if a senior needs assistance they have someone to provide them help with their activities of daily living.

An assisted living facility is a community of older adults that need a little assistance or help to do and enjoy day-to-day activities. Residents are encouraged to mingle, partake in activities, and enjoy the amenities that are offered in the community.

The 2016 Genworth Care Survey shows the median homemaker services cost $3,813 per month and a home health aide costs $3,861, which are for part-time services based upon need. The median assisted living cost was $3,628 for 2016, and was for 24-hour services.
Assisted living communities aid seniors with daily tasks. As an assisted living resident, your loved one becomes part of the community.

They can take part in community activities, social circles, and develop a routine. Assisted living facilities provide transportation, housekeeping, laundry, and some medical services. Assisted living communities are designed to help residents stay mobile, active, and safe. You can enjoy the privacy of your own apartment, surrounded by your personal furniture and treasured mementoes of your life.
Home care is very different from the care provided in an assisted living facility. Most people prefer to remain in their own homes to age in place if possible, and some elderly people like the privacy of receiving care from a professional in the comfort of their own home. Each person has their preferences. If you are unaccustomed to life in an apartment, downsizing to assisted living may be bothersome to your loved one.

In-home care allows a person to receive help with daily tasks while simultaneously living in the home they are comfortable and familiar with.

The downside to in-home care is that it may be intrusive or annoying for other in-home family members or relatives. Depending on the level of care needed, the cost of home care varies widely. Often, in-home care personnel are paid per hour, with a price range depending on the type of care provided. Duties can include general chores like cleaning, laundry, or medical assistance. The in-home personnel are not usually there 24/7. The care is limited since hours are designated by the agency. Staying in one place while receiving care enables a senior to stay with family.

The most important advantages for assisted living are the 24-hour support and supervision. Facilities provide safety for your loved one, nutritious meals, fitness programs, around-the-clock housekeeping and laundry services. Socialization and fun activities create a better quality of life, especially for someone that has been living alone with no daily contact with other people.

Most assisted living community rates include basic utilities (electricity, heat, water, and garbage), housekeeping and laundry services, plus three meals a day and snacks. Some have rates that are all-inclusive, and others have a level-of-care fee. Now, compare that to living at home. Add the cost of all these plus home maintenance, property taxes, and the cost of your vehicle, and often assisted living actually saves your loved one’s hard-earned money. More importantly is the knowledge that your loved one is living in a safe and secure environment with help available 24 hours a day.

You and your loved one should do research on what method of care would be best for your family and your aging loved one. Talk to several home care agencies and tour several assisted living communities to compare them before making a decision. This will be time well-spent. Your loved one and other family members can feel comfortable that you jointly made the best decision.

The Villas of Holly Brook is committed to enriching the lives of seniors they serve every day by working under the faith based philosophy established by owner Reggie Phillips and his family. They also offer Alzheimer’s and dementia specialty care in Reflections Memory Care when your loved one has those needs. Call 1-855-20-VILLA (84552) for more information or visit www.villasofhollybrook.com.