What Types of Senior Care Options Are There?
You might have noticed lately that your aging loved one is in need of some extra help, whether that be medically or daily. Since there are a variety of senior care options available, it can be difficult to decide which is best. Each person has their own unique circumstances, and it is important to receive aid that best suits their specific needs. It can consequently be overwhelming, as this is no easy choice. Fortunately, Meaningful Living can help you decide which senior care option is best for your aging loved one.
The following are eight different types of senior care options available, as well as their pros and cons and cost differences. While they are broadly classified under independent and assisted living, each service evidently assists seniors in some way or another; it simply depends on the amount of help provided.
1) Retirement Homes
Retirement homes are synonymous with a wide variety of names, among which are Retirement Communities, Independent Living Communities, Senior Housing, and Senior Apartments. These communities tend to be private, and can range from 1400 to 7000 CAD per month depending on factors such as renting, leasing, buying, or style, location, and so on. They come in the form of fully equipped free-standing homes, apartment complexes, condos, or townhouses, with some being more niche or luxurious than others. Residence is restricted to a certain age, often 55+.
A nurse and a senior enjoying a stroll around a senior residence
There are many benefits to these communities. They are excellent for seniors with near-full independence and good health. This level of liberty can be empowering, as the strains of aging such as the loss of control can be difficult to deal with.
Their proximity to other seniors minimizes loneliness; friendships with senior neighbors come about quite easily, making for rich social lives. Internal and external home maintenance and homecare services are also directly provided, as well as onsite medical care (if needed) and on-the-clock supervision, and other needs, giving seniors more time for leisure.
Unfortunately, there may be homeowner or community fees, and purchasing a house in such a community can be pricey. Additionally, while these communities do allow for some degree of independence, they still receive some assistance in forms mentioned above, which might be hard if your aging loved one prefers doing certain tasks like housekeeping alone, but is aware that it is not the best thing for their health. There might also be personality differences among retirement home citizens that can cause tension, or homesickness for their previous homes.
2) Nursing Homes
Nursing homes (Long-term Care, Convalescent Care, etc.) offer the highest level of medical care and assistance, and are thus a good fit for those with medical issues in need of constant care. The increased ‘clinical feel’ of nursing homes can be disorienting and intimidating, but is necessary for seniors needing short-term rehabilitative care (surgical recovery, cardiac care, respiratory and palliative rehab, etc.) or long-term medical assistance for mental or physical problems to ensure that they are well taken care of.
Much like retirement homes, the cost of nursing homes varies and is similar to that of retirement homes. In 2020, the cost ranged from around 1800 to 2700 CAD a month. They can evidently be costly, given that they provide quality medical care for more complex health issues.
Since they are government-regulated, everything is already prepared in advance – meals, housekeeping, activities, medication management, and so on. While this is a huge advantage for those in need of more help, it can also cause a loss of feelings of independence and even isolation from family and the external world.
However, twenty-four-hour nursing and personal care is provided, which is why nursing homes are a wonderful option for disabled seniors or those requiring ongoing, twenty-four-hour support. This can ease a burden off seniors’ families who do not feel qualified enough to provide such long-term, heavily medical support for their aging loved one. Nursing homes are also a great option for those who wish to be around people their age, as they will be socializing with other seniors often.
A caregiver helping a senior
3) Memory Support
Memory Support is also known as Memory Care, Dementia Care, or Alzheimer’s Care. These services are tailored specifically to those with signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s, or those already diagnosed. Memory care facilities are special, semi-private or private communities with extra security to prevent residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia from wandering outside and consequently injuring themselves or getting lost.
If your aging loved one is experiencing symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s or has already been diagnosed and is struggling with their memory, memory support services are a good idea due to the augmented security and perpetual aid and supervision by trained officials and caregivers.
In Canada, they can cost around $3000 to $7000 a month and are one of the most expensive types of senior care due to the supervision, personalization, and specifications, and might be worth it to keep your loved one safe and feeling relaxed. Their staff is specially trained to deal with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and memory problems, and even design and provide engaging activities and personalized, structured routines that are meant to soothe symptoms and strengthen physical, social, and particularly cognitive skills.
As such, you can take comfort in knowing your loved one will be in good hands despite their memory struggles. Besides the price, another disadvantage is that seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s need familiarity to feel grounded. Consequently, they might want to remain at home and might struggle to adapt to living in a memory care facility due to not seeing their loved ones as often and being separated from the familiarity of their homes. Once they adjust, though, they should be safe and well cared for by highly trained caregivers.
4) Respite Care
Unlike the previous options, Respite Care, Adult Day Care, or Short-Term Stay Programs are meant for seniors that need assistance for shorter periods of time, such as a day, a few weeks, or a month. With respite care, trained caregivers temporarily assist seniors requiring extra support with whatever they may need. The seniors may remain at home during these programs or briefly stay in facilities like those formerly mentioned.
These programs are perfect for caregivers or families that require momentary breaks from the strains of helping their loved ones, perhaps because the caregivers necessitate time off or because the family are going through busy or stressful life periods.
They can even give seniors a chance to socialize with new faces, but there can be personality clashes (though these are common and expected wherever people go!). The expenses vary, but these programs traditionally cost around $25 to $30 an hour in Canada.
Services like these are typically expensive, but might be necessary if you are attending a function and must be away from your aging loved one for some time, for instance, or if your caregiver is temporarily unavailable. Unfortunately, some centres do not provide overnight accommodations, so make sure to research the proper centres if you would like your loved one to be watched for more than a day.
5) Hospice Care
You might find relief in choosing hospice care if your aging loved one has a terminal illness and is in the final stages. Seniors can receive this type of care in their own homes or in nursing homes. These services are family-focused and ensure that your loved one is comfortable in their final days, rather than promising an unattainable cure.
They promote high comfort, quality of life as opposed to length of life, and maintain your loved one’s dignity. Here, seniors can peacefully enjoy their remaining time, and their families can feel a sense of emotional relief knowing they are fully taken care of, since hospice care also provides full medical services and concentrates on pain management.
Of course, each plan is specific to individuals and is tailored appropriately. Due to this, the costs differ and are especially dependent on the severity of the disease and where the individual chooses to spend their last days. Hospice care tends to cost around $36000 if your loved one is passing in a chronic care facility, whereas it costs approximately $16000 to receive these services at home.
This is evidently one of the more expensive care options alongside memory support services, as they are both severe and extremely medical in nature. This can be a tremendous disadvantage for some, but can be worth it for those with disposable income who wish to see their loved one go serenely. It can be difficult to part with your loved one and watch them do so, but these services guarantee that they can leave with dignity and the utmost ease.
A family supporting their aging loved one
6) Palliative Care
Since palliative care is quite similar to hospice care, it is often mixed up with hospice care. Palliative care can be given at any stage during a serious – not necessarily terminal, though terminal patients can and do receive palliative care – illness, while hospice care demands that your aging loved one have a prognosis of less than six months to live, but hospice care can sometimes be sought out before six months if prescribed by a doctor.
Like hospice care, palliative care takes a more holistic approach, so it does not replace existing treatment. However, palliative care is specialized medical care for those with terminal illnesses, so it can still provide medical support and manage symptoms and pain of chronic illnesses, especially since it is provided by highly trained doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. As such, it can also be expensive, and is priced around the same as hospice care.
Like other care options, palliative care is personalized to optimally benefit the patient’s specific needs. The primary goal is increasing quality of life, so it can be a comfortable, emotionally soothing experience for seniors with serious illnesses and the seniors’ families. They can also receive this type of aid at home, which increases patients’ comfort.
On the other hand, if a senior has a disease that is not terminal but still serious, receiving palliative care can potentially wound them mentally by leading them to believe that this action taken was a last resort, thereby reducing their hopes for recovery or normal life. To mitigate these negative yet understandable feelings, try to make your loved one understand that this is merely for their comfort, which is a big advantage of palliative care.
7) Personal Care Homes
Personal care homes are sometimes known as Assisted Living Communities, Assisted Living Facilities, or Assisted Care Communities. They are similar to retirement homes and nursing homes in that residents live in private apartments or private rooms, but seniors in these residents are less independent, require more day-to-day help, and may even have other senior roommates.
They are not as self-governing as those in retirement homes, and do not require as much medical care and attention as those in nursing homes; instead, seniors in ALCs are those who cannot live safely alone but wish to and are able to maintain active, healthy, and social lifestyles.
As such, seniors in these lively communities are usually very social and are consequently less lonely. These communities are typically like little ‘cities’ in themselves, with their own communal dining spaces, home care maintenance services, transportation services, and recreational programs and facilities.
This is a great option if your loved one is fairly independent yet requires ‘just in case’ services and aid with certain tasks, such as driving to appointments or cooking. Unfortunately, these wonderful care homes are not cheap; on average, they can cost around $1500 to $6000 per month. Still, if such a lifestyle is important to your aging loved one and your peace of mind, these excellent care homes are worth considering.
8) Home Care
Finally, home care – used interchangeably with Non-Medical Care and Personal Care – is a service wherein a nurse or caregiver visits seniors in their own homes and is assigned to help them with certain day-to-day tasks, ultimately aiding them in living as well as they can.
Home care services include things such as cleaning, cooking, running errands, foot care, mere companionship, hygiene, dressing, administering medications, booking appointments monitoring vitals, driving to doctors’ appointments or accompanying them to various events, and more. We offer all of these services at Meaningful Living, including palliative and respite care, and our care options range from hourly to twenty-four-hour care.
Seniors are relieved of the burden of all of these routinely tasks that become more difficult with age, allowing them more downtime and relaxation. This is what we specialize in at Meaningful Living – we ensure that your loved one is in great hands and living the most comfortable and meaningful life that they can possible live. The costs of home care differ depending on the services required, the location, and the frequency of care. It is precisely 1/10th the cost of hospitalization. In Ontario, home care services cost approximately $20 an hour, which is certainly far less expensive than hospitalization. This is quite affordable as opposed to other forms of care, especially if you only require home care services occasionally when you cannot care for your aging loved one.
There are many other advantages to home care, such as increased independence and thus maintained integrity and dignity, familiarity due to remaining at home and thus reduced stress, sociability with caregivers and family who can come over at any time, and healthy relationships with family members due to seniors’ independence, safety, comfort, and the personalization offered. One downside could possibly be that seniors will not be socializing much with other people their age by remaining at home unless they have senior neighbors, but the friendships developed with caregivers and the sustained relationships with family by staying home rather than living in a facility might supplement that small loss.
A caregiver making a healthy meal for his client in the client’s home
If you believe your aging family member needs help and you are confused as to which route to take, we hope that this list helped clarify the options available and what they entail. Make sure to thoroughly research the different options, and ask medical professionals for expert advice. To properly understand whether your elderly family member needs help, check out our blog articles about 10 signs that demonstrate that your aging parent possibly needs help, and how to spot those signs. For more updates and information on home care, seniors and senior health, events, recipes, and more, check out our Instagram page here.