Over the last twenty years, I’ve seen many changes and innovations in the caregiving scene.  One area outside the nursing home and assisted living environment that has entered the caregiving sector with a greater presence over the past few years in particular is home healthcare and I’d like to take a few moments and provide some thoughts on the subject.

Here, depending on the person’s needs and specific requirements, a caregiver from an in-home healthcare agency comes to the individual’s residence and delivers services. These services can range anywhere from light housekeeping, preparing meals and companionship all the way up to certain skilled offerings such as rehabilitation therapy assistance.

On the surface this sounds like a very attractive option for certain folks who are in position to take advantage of this form of caregiving services, and for many it’s exactly that. However, there can also be some potential drawbacks to the situation well worth your attention and consideration if making a decision between nursing home care, assisted living, or in-home care.

To begin with, there’s the trust factor involved in forging any kind of personal home health caregiving arrangement. Here, you are having “a stranger” at the outset coming to your or a loved one’s home. And while the large majority of these in-home healthcare employees are of the highest character, you do read of certain incidents which unfortunately cast a pail over the matter. Certainly if you are considering utilizing any type of home healthcare service make sure that the caregivers have gone through as thorough a screening process as possible.

Second is the nature of what’s required in the way of home healthcare services for the individual in question. While there’s no doubt that the idea of receiving these services in one’s home is very attractive, is it the best option for the person’s present needs? Maybe yes; however maybe no. While nursing homes and assisted living communities offer a group of professional caregivers working together as a team, this same “group dynamic” is not part of the in-home healthcare environment.

A third consideration is the social aspects of the nursing home and other group caregiving situations.   There’s a lot to be said for the personal interaction between residents that a nursing home or an assisted living facility affords. For the elderly individual that has lost his or her spouse or just isn’t able to get around town as much as before, having a number of people basically in the same general age group with similar likes and interests together under one roof can work wonders for a senior’s mental and physical well-being. As well is the fostering of organized and structured activities offered in a group living arrangement.

In the end, it’s a matter of choice and determining what the best option is for the person’s needs and present situation. The answer is to do some investigating and research so you can make an informed decision.