Advantages of Nursing Homes Over Home Care
Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2011/01/25 - Updated: 2022/06/23
Topic: Rehabilitation and Hospitals - Publications List
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: Examines the advantages of choosing a nursing home rather than stay-at-home care for seniors, the elderly, and people with disability. Residing in a nursing facility provides seniors with a built-in social network of their peers. Senior residents can enjoy the company of others living in the same facility and share their experiences.
Introduction
Assistance with daily tasks
Nursing homes provide assistance to their residents with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, drinking, using restroom, running errands and administering medicine. Typical daily tasks can become increasingly difficult with old age. Many seniors lose their driver's license at some point and are no longer able to drive to the grocery store or local pharmacy.
Main Content
Social environment
Residing in a nursing facility provides seniors with a built-in social network of their peers. Senior residents can enjoy the company of others who are living in the same facility and share their experiences. Many nursing facilities also offer organized social events open for participation from all residents. Many senior citizens suffer from depression due to feelings of isolation from living alone and not having access to social outlets.
House keeping
The nursing home staff will take care of laundry service, dry cleaning and general cleaning services in your apartment home. Cleaning can be an arduous task for many aging seniors. Having an on-site cleaning staff can prove to be valuable and save time and energy.
Food service
Nursing facilities provide all meals and snacks. Many facilities offer various meal plans to cater to different tastes and dietary requirements. Some facilities also offer meal planning services with a licensed dietitian to ensure that their residents are enjoying a healthy and balanced diet. The food services and meals provided is incorporated into the nursing home cost.
Health care services
Amongst the most obvious benefits of skilled nursing facilities is the personalized health care services offered to residents. These services typically include regular administration of daily prescriptions, medical attention when needed, emergency medical services, 24-hour health monitoring services. Having on-site medical care available from registered nurses and health care providers is crucial to a senior's safety and well-being.
Safety
The elderly are frequently targets of physical, emotional and financial abuse. Living in an assisted living facility offers seniors a protected environment to help insulate them from possible abuse. Imagine if a senior was living alone and forgot to lock their front door at night due to Alzheimer's or dementia suffering. Nursing homes offer greater levels of security and protection than seniors who are living alone or un-supervised.
Access to resources
While living in a nursing home, residents enjoy easy access to whatever resources they might need. Nursing home residents don't have to worry about learning how to use the internet or holding on the phone while trying to obtain information. The nursing home staff will help residents find the information they need quickly and efficiently.
Relieving your family
Many family members become caretakers for elderly parents or relatives. Many of these people have their own lives with busy work schedules, children, obligations, etc and don't have enough time to attend to their own personal lives while providing constant care to their elderly family members. By living in a nursing home, the senior citizen is taking a burden off their younger family members and is also receiving care from dedicated professionals who are available 24-7.
Specialized health care
Skilled nursing facilities are staffed by registered nurses and they have the ability to provide proper health care to seniors with serious health conditions. This level of care is above and beyond what a family member can provide. Many of the serious diseases that plague the elderly such as Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's, cancer and diabetes require health care by a medical professional. Living in a facility with 24-7 health care services will maximize a senior's health and safety.
Author Credentials: Ian is an Australian-born writer, editor, and advocate who currently resides in Montreal, Canada. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.