Taking care of an elderly relative (or managing their care) is never easy, because there are many options to choose from and the quality of care can vary a lot. One thing is for sure: if your relative has medical needs, you probably will need to call in some outside help. Here are your options.
In-home skilled nursing
First of all, how severe are the medical needs? Sometimes all you need is an in-home skilled nursing team that can stop by each day to tend to medical needs. If you can handle everything else yourself, and you don't want to have to move your relative away to a nursing facility, this is something to look into. However, it's only a good option when medical needs are limited; you wouldn't want a medical emergency to come up and be unprepared with no medical help. For many progressive illnesses, controlling things like diet, activity level, and medications are critical to keeping the illness from getting worse; if you don't have experience managing a chronic or progressive illness for someone else, it can be better to leave that to a 24/7 nursing team.
Progressive care assisted living
Assisted living may help your loved one strike a balance. They aren't ready to be in a nursing home yet, but they do have some medical needs that will be taken care of every day. This might include changing bandages, administering insulin, or monitoring vitals to keep a medical condition stable. Skilled nurses may be present in these facilities, and they act as a transition to skilled nursing homes.
Skilled nursing homes
Skilled nursing homes are the most comprehensive out of the three options. They will allow you to place your loved one with a facility that includes trained medical staff including doctors and nurses who will look after your loved one on a daily basis. Skilled nursing homes are the best option when your loved one has significant medical needs, or you know that their condition could deteriorate rapidly. It's better to get them into a facility that can manage their health 24/7 rather than having sporadic care or having to move them during an illness. Any of these three options can work, depending on the level of medical need, so you may want to speak with an intake specialist for skilled nursing homes to see if your loved one is ready for this type of care.
Share17 January 2018
Recently, my mom took my grandmother to her physician for a regular check-up. During this visit, the doctor discovered my grandmother had a cracked bone in her foot. Due to my grandmother’s dementia, she didn’t know if she had fallen or dropped something on her foot. My family and I decided my grandmother shouldn’t live on her own anymore. Do you desperately desire to protect an elderly loved one from harm? If he or she is currently living alone, consider placing your loved one in a nursing home or an assisted living facility. By making this move, you won’t have to worry anymore about the possibility of your relative falling with no one to help him or her. On this blog, I hope you will discover the numerous benefits of moving a senior loved one into a nursing home or assisted living facility. Enjoy!