Recovering after a stroke, heart attack, or major surgery is hard for those aged 65+. The older the patient is, the more prolonged the healing process can be. When it comes to finding a suitable environment for the recovery to take place, a senior may be given several transitional care options.
Whether it’s at home or at a care facility, each setting comes with pros and cons that can complicate the decision-making process. Here’s why recuperating at home might just be the best option for your aging loved one.
The Different Types of Recovery Settings
While deciding which transitional care setting to choose your family may consult with a geriatric care manager or hospital discharge planner. Based on the type of care that’s required, along with your loved one’s health insurance coverage and home environment, their rehab and recovery could take place at:
- A long-term acute care hospital
- An in-patient rehab hospital
- A nursing home that offers skilled nursing services
- At home (home health care)
Depending on events leading up to your loved one’s recovery, they may require professional services. They may need wound care or nutrition services, or respiratory, speech, physical, or occupational therapies.
Advantages of Recovery in A Familiar Environment
If your loved one is otherwise healthy enough to do so, recovering at home should provide them with many advantages above-and-beyond what they would experience at an in-patient facility. The benefits of recovery in a familiar environment may include:
Creature comforts
Sleeping in one’s own bed, having access to their full wardrobe, and being able to watch their favorite TV programs are all positives for a recuperating person’s state of mind. Staying at a care facility won’t allow your loved one to enjoy those same creature comforts. Researchers have found that the more comfortable and optimistic a patient is, the more likely they are to heal quickly and completely.
Accessibility
If they can otherwise get around and have access to reliable transportation, someone recuperating at home can take advantage of perks like going to the beauty salon, shopping at the local farmer’s market, or visiting their friends. Receiving care at a facility could mean staying across town- or in another zip code altogether. This would put them far away from those conveniences.
Encouragement
Recovering at home also allows a senior to be surrounded by family members and friends. The constant nurturing and encouragement that their loved ones provide will have a positive impact on a recuperating senior’s mental outlook and willpower. The more motivated your loved one is, the more likely they will be to push through that tough rehab session or finish everything on their dinner plate.
Cost
Once a patient qualifies for skilled care Medicare only pays 100% for the first 20 days. If your loved one doesn’t have a long-term care insurance policy spending more than 20 days in a care facility can put a big crack in their retirement nest egg. On the other hand, receiving care at home from unpaid family members will provide them with financial flexibility. This flexibility can enable them to enjoy life to the fullest once they’re healed!
Recovery Options for Informal Caregivers
Although being an informal caregiver for a recuperating senior is a labor of love, it can also be exhausting when you have a job and household to manage. Caregiver burnout can sneak up on you with little warning, placing both you and your care recipient at risk. When it’s time for a well-deserved break you can find caregiver relief through sources like:
- Other family members
- Friends, neighbors, and coworkers
- Community volunteers that work with the aging
- Meal delivery services
- Senior-focused transportation and paratransit services
- Professional respite caregivers
Reliable In-Home Transitional Care for Recovering Seniors
At First In Care, our highly trained caregivers provide reliable transitional care services that keep seniors living independently right where they want to be. Our caregivers can help your senior loved ones while they undergo recovery in a comfortable, familiar environment.
While serving as an extended family in the home, our compassionate professionals deliver daily living assistance support. They offer support in the form of respite care, personal care, companionship care, dementia care, light housekeeping, and even live-in and 24-hour care.
The experienced caregivers at FIC use a unique approach that’s designed to maintain your senior’s quality of life, dignity, and independence. To learn more now about our flexible plans and hourly rates, or to schedule an initial consultation for a senior in Manatee County, FL, today, please visit First In Care at www.firstincare.com!
