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Home Care Versus Nursing Home Care in Philadelphia & Southeastern PA
Posted by PHC | Blog
Even when aging starts affecting their quality of life, most elders prefer to stay in their own homes. The sense of familiarity that comes from knowing their neighbors, treasured memories with family and unwillingness for change are all contributing factors to oppose moving to a nursing home in Philadelphia.
Today, there are options to make “aging in place” possible. Nursing care services are an alternative to institutional care, where a professionally trained caregiver assists a senior with problematic are tasks such as cooking, cleaning, toileting, shopping, doing laundry, and driving, and medical appointments.
Philadelphia home care services can help people at any point within the aging process. Assistance with grocery shopping and mealtimes can ensure seniors are eating a balanced and healthy diet. Personal care services allow loved ones with mild to severe mobility to continue to live comfortably at home.
Because nursing care needs rarely fit neatly into a single category, it’s important to find a caregiver who understands your situation and can offer a personal and attentive service. Providing dependable, compassionate care at all levels, including specialty care for those with Parkinson’s disease, arthritis or those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia’s, is crucial to guarantee the safety and well being of seniors.
What Is Home Care?
Philadelphia home care focuses on helping seniors with the daily activities of living. These are tasks caregivers perform each day to help them stay healthy and engaged with life. For example:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Incontinence Care
- Mobility Assistance
- Companionship
- Meal preparation
- Medication and checkup Reminders
- Grocery shopping
- Laundry and linens
- Light housekeeping
- Socializing
Individuals who have Alzheimer’s or Other Dementia’s Care may require additional home care services that see caregivers:
- Managing behavioral symptoms
- Encouraging engagement
- Assisting with activities of daily living
- Keeping seniors safe
When a person becomes unable to perform certain tasks due to aging, family members and non-medical caregivers can step in to help. Assisting with these activities generally doesn’t require any sort of medical certification. However, home health care in Philadelphia requires a doctor’s order and is performed by a licensed health professional, such as a nurse or physical therapist.
Philadelphia home health professionals are qualified to provide:
- Occupational Therapy
- Wound Care
- Mobility Training
- Pain Management
- IV Therapy/Injections
If your family member needs home health care, it may be a sign to seek non-medical home care, too. People who need visits from a Philadelphia home health nurse or physical therapist often experience limitations that prevent them from bathing, cooking, driving and performing other day-to-day tasks.
Sometimes, family members seek out short-term or long-term support due to a disease or illness and can help seniors get to and from doctor appointments, prepare nutritious meals to help maintain overall wellness, manage Alzheimer’s behavioral symptoms, and provide a devoted ear to hear stories of days gone by.
When you’re considering the many options for in-home or nursing home care in Philadelphia, do research and look at what meets your and your family’s needs to get the correct levels of care.