Finding solutions to creating a happy and healthy life in old age

Everyone at some point will be faced with either a personal decision on elderly care, or one for a family member. At first, it may seem like a veritable minefield with many different considerations and cost factors playing into the decision. In each individual case however, careful consideration needs to be given and discussed with family members. Each person in the consideration will have their own unique set of challenges and strengths which may need to be taken into account.

Ultimately, we are all aiming for what the architect Frank Lloyd Wright, said: "The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes." To create this, it is worth investing the time when you are considering the various options and levels of care and help available. Attention should also be given to the fact that requirements can often change over time – either slowly or rapidly, and thus long-term planning is necessary. The good news is that there are a multiple number of options available - each of which can be tailored to the individual needs of the person requiring care. The end goal is to create a safe, happy and healthy environment either at home or in a suitable care facility.

Which kind of care is right for you or your family?

There are many different types of Solutions to meet needs of different people and situations . This can include Care Homes, Nursing Homes, Domiciliary Care, Live in Care and Home Help – each one is different, and the solution could include a combination of the home care and help options.

A good starting point is a list of requirements as well as a needs assessment for yourself or the person needing help. Once these requirements are fully understood they can be matched to the variety of types of care and help options available. Unfortunately, this process can be very difficult especially if you are organising it for a loved one who does not believe that the care or help is needed – so it requires time, patience and understanding (If you need some help approaching the conversation around this article may also be of use to you.)

Below are some care options to consider:

Care Home:

Care homes may be necessary for someone who is struggling to live alone, with family or has paid carer support - or for someone who requires specialist medical attention. There are two types of care homes which can either be Residential home or one which provides daily nursing assistance which would be a Nursing home. The option of a care home is a big decision as it is a costly investment, however there are many upsides to the option.

Domiciliary Care:

Domiciliary care which is also called Home care is when a qualified carer such as a social workers or medical professional will visit the person at home either on a daily or weekly basis for several hours. The main role of home care is to provide personal care such as bathing, supervise the taking of medication, preparing meals, shopping, companionship, advice and information, and other daily tasks a person may be battling with.

Live in Care:

A live-in carer will provide full time care in your or your family members home, the carer will move into the home and permanently live there. As with domiciliary care, the care will include personal care such as bathing, supervise the taking of medication, preparing meals, shopping, companionship, advice and information, and other daily tasks. In finding a suitable live-in carer, one must ensure that there are high levels of trust and compatibility for it to work as an ongoing solution. One should also consider putting in ongoing stand in arrangements to support time off or medical and family requirements for the carer.

Home Help:

Home helpers do not provide personal care but will deliver home help services that support you or your family in the home to enable continued independent living. Home helper services generally include companionship, light cleaning, washing up and laundry as well as trips out and shopping. Many elderly benefit from the extra support at home especially when they lose mobility or due to a health condition. Good Life Sorted provide home help services like this to several counties in South and South East England where Helpers are selected from local communities and thoroughly vetted through interviews, references and DBS checks ensuring that you have peace of mind.

Putting together the right care and help solutions:

Whether you or your loved one are recovering from an illness, surgery or finding that mobility is becoming increasingly challenging, the result will be that daily tasks will be more challenging. In some cases, this may lead to increased isolation and loneliness which will be detrimental to maintaining a positive mindset. In many instances elderly people wish to remain at home surrounded by the things they love and the memories that have been created over the years. It’s important that as much as possible your and their wishes are supported by the putting in place the right care.

Paying for Care

Different care options come with different costs. The cost providing care and help may seem prohibitive, however there are ways of structuring support to help assist with payments such a Personal Independent Payments and Direct Payments. As well as the Local Council ‘Attendance Allowance’ which is available to assist with the extra cost of help - if you have an illness disability which requires you to have help to look after yourself. The benefit is intended to provide support for those who live independently and who are over the age of 65 when they first claim. They must have satisfied the conditions for at least six months before they are entitled to payments. Thus, costs should not be considered an insurmountable barrier to finding the right solution. Your local council can carry out a needs assessment to assess your eligibility for funding. You can find out more information here.

These issues are not easy to deal with, nor do they make for easy discussions with loved ones. It is also a topic which all too often gets delayed or put off. It is advisable to deal with the matter sooner rather than later as it is not good to make these decisions in crisis mode. It would be worth going through all the options with loved ones to ensure you find the right Elderly care solution that suites your circumstances – whether that be a Care or Nursing home, Domiciliary care, Live in care or Home help. Each one will provide its own unique value to you and may change over time.

Different Care Solutions To Suit You and Your Family