As a care provider, we -at Redan Medical- understand that making any decisions around your loved ones could be very tough, tricky, complicated and costly, especially if it arises for the first time in the family (which it does sooner than later). Being aware of all the options and their cons and pros would be critical to make the wisest decision. The type and level of care management much depends on the very specific case and circumstances around the loved ones in need and their family. However, the general advice would be try to keep your loved one at home as much as possible. Transferring a loved one to an assisted living facility should be considered only as a last option, when it is absolutely necessary. By doing so, you are pretty much giving up hope in yourself and your loved one, whether you are aware of it or not.
Here are a few factors to keep in mind when thinking about keeping your loved ones at home or transferring them to an assisted living facility:
Level of care: Both our first-hand experience and the feedback that we receive from our prospects all the time tells us that your loved one could barely receive a high, quality level of care at an assisted living facility. An average ratio of staff to resident at a typical assisted living facility is 1:8, and in some cases, it has even been reported as 1:15. That means your loved ones may stay on long waits before a staff could even check on them, let alone how much time the staff might be able to dedicate to serve your loved ones. That is not what your loved ones deserve. They deserve a single caregiver dedicated thoroughly and passionately to them, staying side-by-side, listening to them, talking to them, and check on their needs at each and every minute. This is what in-homecare services are and this is what Redan Medical provides at its finest.
Hygiene: There are always exceptions, but there have been several reports of low level of hygiene in assisted living facilities, where the loved ones and their visitors got sick during their stay or visit. If there is anything you expect for your loved ones during their care services, that would be for them to recover to a greater state of health, and not to acquire new diseases. Now compare the level of hygiene that your loved ones could experience at an assisted living facility -regardless of how clean and decent is the facility- to that of their true home. No place would be healthier for your loved ones than their own very homes, whether they live alone or with the rest of the family. Just another factor to consider when deciding to perhaps you should keep your loved ones at home.
Mental state: No matter how decent of an assisted living facility you will be putting your loved ones at, and no matter how much company they could receive from the staff or fellow residents, your loved ones would always feel lonely, simply because they don’t have their family next to them. We have had countless number of cases where the loved one had no wish but just to go back home and stay with the family. Keeping a loved one at home would drastically slow down the mental and phycological decline, which goes hand-in-hand with physical state of health.
Cost: The cost of having your loved one at an assisted living varies drastically depending on what region your loved one resides at. In year 2017, the monthly cost of assisted living in the State of California ranged from $1,000 to $10,700; with a State-wide average monthly cost of $4,050 per month. The typical cost of a decent assisted living facility in Orange County for example is more than $6500 per month. With that much spending, your loved one can stay home and receive almost 10 hours of daily service by a dedicated caregiver. You might also think that perhaps you could leave your loved one at an adult day care for a few hours during the day. You should note that having an in-homecare service could cost you 3-4 times less than an adult day care, while your loved one could still stay home and enjoy the highest level of comfort.
Again, the final decision is very personal and complicated, and is yours to make. However, remember that with perhaps only a little bit of compromise, discomfort and cost to the family, the loved ones could enjoy living in the place they have been calling home for a long time. Do your best to make the in-home care service arrangements happen. Consult with our care provider professionals at Redan Medical, and they can always go over your very personal story, learn more about your loved ones’ conditions and needs, hear the family concerns, and recommend the best arrangements for in-home care services for you and your loved ones. Also, keep in mind that even if the final decision of the family ended up being to transfer the loved ones to an assisted care facility, Redan Medical can still help you by providing additional caregivers to make up for the lack of sufficient staff at the facility. So even though your loved ones do not have their family, they at least have a dedicated caregiver who is from extended family at Redan Medical. Call us today for a free or in-person consultation.
“Transferring a loved one to an assisted living facility should be considered only as a last option, when it is absolutely necessary. With perhaps only a little bit of compromise, discomfort and cost to the family, the loved ones could enjoy living in the place they have been calling home for a long time.”
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