6 Alternatives to a Care Home That Your Parent Might Like More

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You love your parents. You want them to be happy and in a safe environment for the rest of their lives. But what if they don’t want that? What if they’d rather go somewhere else, somewhere closer to family or friends? It’s not always easy when you’re trying to figure out what will make them happy.

There are so many options! If you find yourself stuck choosing between a skilled nursing facility vs assisted living situation, it can be hard knowing which one is best for your parent.

That’s why we’ve got some advice on six alternatives to care home life that might sound more appealing than a typical nursing facility or retirement home that provides housing, and still leaves the elderly with their sense of dignity and self-respect. 

Assisted living 

Assisted living is sometimes seen as a halfway home to nursing home care. It takes the perspective of independent living with some assistance, such as personal care and housekeeping services. It can be part-time, like with respite care services, providing help for a few days or a longer period of time. It can also include day-to-day assistance, but not 24-hour supervision that gives them a sense of freedom. On the other hand, memory care assisted living is a more specialized type of assisted living that caters to older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. These facilities provide specialized care and services to help people with memory loss live safely and independently. Memory care assisted living can be an excellent option for people who need more assistance than traditional assisted living can provide but do not need the full-time care of a nursing home.

There are so many pros to assisted living facilities. First of all, they allow residents to make their own choices about what to eat and when. Second, they provide 24-hour nursing staff that is available on the site. Third, they’re not exclusively for seniors. Assisted living facilities can be a great choice for people of all ages who need some help with day-to-day activities, such as bathing and eating. 

They also provide the privacy of an apartment or house, so it’s close to home without being at home! 

Adult daycare centers 

Another alternative is adult daycare centers, which provide activities like exercise classes, cooking lessons, and field trips for seniors who can’t or don’t wish to be at home alone all day. People who attend these centers usually go home in the evening.

Adult daycare centers let seniors socialize with people their age in a similar situation, and help them reduce BPSD (Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia). Some places where older adults can go are faith-based organizations, retirement homes, and volunteer groups that open their doors to the public when they’re not meeting as a group. Many of these centers are subsidized by the government. 

Senior Apartments

The senior apartment complex is specifically designed to provide housing for older adults. Sometimes, these facilities may even be in the same building as an adult daycare center or assisted living facility. Senior apartments differ from retirement homes because they offer many of the amenities that people need when they’re not coping well with daily life-like scheduled transportation and on-site personal care services.

Using such accommodation can be the golden solution where you are able to visit your parents even with a busy life, and still have the feeling of being in control of their own decisions. The elderly have a hard time accepting that they may not be entirely capable of taking care of themselves, and it is best if they have the love and support of their family, and still, an entirely new community of people to meet and support. 

Adult Foster Homes

Adult foster homes provide a way for seniors to live in a home of their own and still get the care and assistance they need. For example, some people might need help with cooking and cleaning while others might need caregiving to help them bathe or take their medicines. Sometimes, these homes are operated by organizations like churches, which charge rooming fees based on each person’s needs. 

The downside of living in an adult foster home is that you can’t always have visitors stay over-unless they are family members who also reside in the same facility. However, if family members visit occasionally, this can be an excellent option for someone aging in place because they can keep their independence while receiving the help they need.

Disability-Friendly Homes

If your parents can’t or don’t want to go out much, another alternative is disability-friendly housing. Disabled-friendly housing lets seniors living at home continue to do the things they enjoy without having to worry about stairs, hazardous paths, or other obstacles that usually come with being inside a big home.

Some features that might be included in a disability-friendly home include wheelchair ramps, walk-in showers, grab bars, and railings for safety. All living spaces are easily accessible to people using wheelchairs.

Retirement villages 

A retirement village is a group of apartments, townhouses, or cottages where people can live independently but have access to 24-hour on-call assistance if they need it. There’s also usually someone on-site around the clock who can help with things like transportation to appointments and other errands.

There are plenty of high-quality villages to choose from, such as Summerset Retirement Villages, that offer access to a range of social activities, like yoga and tai chi classes, as well as other recreational opportunities. Many villages also have communal facilities like libraries, swimming pools, spas, and gymnasiums that are all within easy walking distance.

At a retirement village, residents usually sign an agreement at the beginning to stay for a certain amount of time, usually between one and three years. The complex may provide meals or residents can shop for their own groceries and cook themselves. It’s much like living in an assisted living facility, but without as much supervision and with a community of people to socialize with.

In-home care 

Your parents might consider getting an in-home caregiver if they need help around the house but don’t want to leave it. In-home care is a popular option because it gives seniors more control over what kind of help they receive and who provides it since most of these at-home workers are family members or friends.

In-home care is a good option for seniors who need help but don’t want to leave their own homes because they can maintain a sense of independence while still receiving the help they need. However, with in-home care comes responsibility: your parents have to learn how to adjust and live with an extra person in the house. 

There are many ways to deal with the aging process, but it can be easier if there is a support community of people who are going through the same thing.  When you are trying to figure out what would be best for your parents, it can help if you know that there are alternatives to traditional care homes. Allowing the elderly to still have control over their lives gives them a sense of independence and helps them cope with the depression that follows any life-changing events.