Home care: the pros and cons

Whether you are looking at care for yourself or for a loved one, home care can offer a wide range of benefits. Home care can be:

Better for your mental and physical health and wellbeing

The majority of people who end up living in a care home have not actively chosen to do so. Many people are often forced to make this decision in a time of crisis and often as a last resort. A study carried out by The Good Care Group found that rather than people’s conditions improving under the consistent care provided in a care home, many people’s health and wellbeing actually declines while in a care facility. This is obviously not the case for everyone, but for a large number of people, the stress and upheaval of moving, coupled with disconnection from family, friends and their community often meant that their health worsened after moving into a care home.

Can be more cost effective

Not everyone’s health is the same and the level of care each person needs is definitely not uniform. With this in mind, depending on your care needs, home care can work out cheaper as you can choose the level of care that best suits your needs. So if you really only need someone to check in on you once a day you can have just that, or if you need a full time live in carer, you can also do this.

A spokesman from home care services provider Good Care says “There is a popular misconception that 24 hour care is prohibitively expensive when compared to the costs of living in a residential nursing home. In reality, the cost for providing each type of care is similar. Furthermore, in accordance with the UK government’s ‘Personalisation’ framework, anyone deemed eligible to receive care from their local authority or the NHS is granted an allowance which can be used to obtain whichever form of care – residential or live-in – you or your loved one prefers.”

Better suited for a wide range conditions and needs

With home care and the wide range of options available, it is often easier to find care that suits your specific needs rather than a blanket approach, which you might find in a care facility.

Can help maintain independence

For a large number of people, staying in their own home means that they stay more independent for longer, physically, mentally and socially. Often moving into a care facility means that they do less which means that often they lose their independence more rapidly.

Greater control over the care you receive

If you were to move into a residential care facility, you may be able to choose the facility, but ultimately, you can’t choose the staff who work there. With home care, you are able to select individuals that you have a connection with, interview them, check references and so on. This can give you the reassurance that you or your loved one are getting the best care possible from a safe pair of hands.

Maintains familiarity and routines

Nearly 60% of people in care homes have a dementia diagnosis, according to Age UK, and while it may feel like the only option for you if you or a loved one finds themselves in this position, it’s been found that staying in a familiar environment can be more beneficial for those with dementia. Staying in their home can provide familiarity and comfort, regular routines, allow you or them to keep pets and maintain the features of the life they have always had, which may help minimise stress and confusion.