The Difference Between Nursing Homes and At-Home Healthcare

At some point we all will be incapable of taking care of ourselves. Hopefully we will have built relationships with people that allow us to be taken care of as we age; loved ones who are able to decide for us whether we should be placed in a nursing home or cared for by a home health care nurse. While both offer advantages and disadvantages, one thing's for sure, nursing homes are much more expensive.

Pros of Nursing Homes

To fully understand the cost of elderly care, it's important to know the pros and cons of different care facilities. First let's take a look at nursing homes positives. Unfortunately, everyone doesn't have the means to keep someone in their house getting full time care, so a nursing home is a good option to help move your family member somewhere you can easily access while having someone more experienced care for them. Another positive about nursing homes is the full time, around the clock care. Professionals are helping your family members all the time with everything they need, including washing, eating, medication.

Cons of Nursing Homes

Even though there are pros, there are also some cons to consider. Nursing homes can become difficult because you don't see your family members constantly, and this can potentially lead to mistreatment. Putting a family member in a nursing home is tricky because your loved one could very well be hurt, ignored, or even killed due to mistreatment or malpractice. One way to try and prevent this happening is by visiting your family member often, but that might not be an option for some family members.

At-Home Care

At home health is the next option. If you are able to provide care for your family member at home it can be a great option. While nursing homes are inaccessible because they are extremely expensive, at home health care is cheaper. This option provides care for your family member in your own or their home. It’s easy to come around and it ensures your family members are taken care of in the best way possible.

The biggest downfall, however, is not being able to afford a healthcare professional for 24 hour care. While at home health care is cheaper than nursing homes it’s mostly because medical professionals or other staff are not there all the time. If they were, the cost would almost match nursing home prices.

Nursing Home vs. Home Healthcare

The biggest problem to compare is the cost. With something like getting older, not being able to care for yourself is a definite, so you would think nursing homes would cost much less. There are many factors that go into the day to day of a nursing home, but the price alone leads people to second guess being placed in one. What do people do who don’t have family to pay for them or insurance? Nursing home stays cost $5,000 or more per month. While at-home health care seems like a better option, it’s still costly and doesn’t provide round the clock care.

Conclusion

So what do you do? There are some options out there that will help with the barrier to access created by the costs of care. It is possible to get medicaid, which will help with the cost. There's also the option of saving up money before you get to the point of needing a nursing home.

The best thing to do is weigh your options. If around the clock care is better for you or a loved one then a full-time facility may be the better option. There are also assisted living centers that can be brought into the discussion, which may be a good middle ground. Make sure you have looked at all the choices before discussing where and how you'll be spending your final days.

-Anuri Mitchell