What are the Alternatives to a Care Home?
Published: 27/03/2019
What are the alternatives to a care home?
Around 90% of people would prefer to stay at home as they age rather than moving into a care home, but there are many options available. We have provided a description of some of the common alternatives below.
Depending on your situation; health, physical mobility, where you live and what kind of house you live in there are many options. In this article we are going to look at a few of those alternatives to a care home and discuss when they might be appropriate.
Retirement Living
There are many purpose-built blocks of apartments or flats that are specifically designed for older people to retire into. They are usually fairly central in a town to enable easy access to local amenities and there is normally a part time manager to help with maintenance and any ad-hoc issues you may have. Most have a shared lounge area and sometimes a dining room and meals provided which is great for socialising.
There are plenty of retirement living venues in Harrow, Ruislip, Pinner and surrounding areas. If this is an option you intend to look at, we recommend comparing retirement living reviews on Google and reviewing their website to ensure that they meet your requirements.
Domiciliary Home Care
A good home care provider should be able to offer you any service you need to stay living independently at home. Our team are fully trained and able to support you with social needs, housework and any care needs including personal hygiene, medication and end of life care. We have strict policies and procedures in place to ensure you are kept safe, especially in the current climate against COVID-19. Our CareGivers are provided with full PPE and training on wearing it safely.
Using home care to support you to stay at home works really well; the huge benefit of home care is that it is very flexible. If all you need is a weekly trip to go shopping then you can organise that, if your care requirements increase and you would like support every morning, then that can be arranged. Many people underestimate the level of care that can be provided in people’s own homes, it is always possible to remain at home if that is your wish.
Live In Care
Live in care is when a CareGiver lives in your home with you. It is important to remember that although a live in CareGiver may be there 24hrs a day they cannot work every hour of the day, however you can have peace of mind knowing that someone is there at all times should you need it. Most live in care givers work 10 – 12 hours per day on average. Live in caregivers can support you with meal preparation, washing and dressing, housekeeping, companionship, medication and other adhoc duties you may need.
Right at Home offer a managed live in care service with support from additional home care if it is needed.
For more details about live in care, please read our blog: Live In Care
Moving in with your Children
For some people there is the option to move in with their children. This can be a fantastic opportunity not only to spend more time with your loved ones but can also make great financial sense. However, it is a big decision and can mean moving away from your local support network and friends.
Before making this decision it is really important to have thought it through really well and discussed it properly with everyone who will be impacted.
All in all, it is really worth considering the different options and most importantly talking about it with your loved ones before making any long term changes. If you are interested in care at home, either domiciliary or live in, please get in touch on 020 3397 4555 to speak to one of our friendly advisors.
