There comes a time in everyone's life when you need to start making a decision about life after retirement, in this post it explores some of the available options.
Choosing an elder
care option
There comes a time in
many people’s lives where they require some form of elder care. It
might not be something that people want to accept or think about, but
it’s important that everyone knows the options available to them
should that time come. Here are the main elder care options available
to you so you’re as fully informed as possible…
Care at home
(family)
Some elderly folk are
lucky enough to have enough family and friends around them who can
provide enough care for them to get by. This is usually only suitable
for those who need a relatively small amount of care, such as only in
the evenings, as it’s not often family members will be able to
provide significant care throughout every day. Some family members do
become full-time carers but this is a somewhat rare occurrence.
If
care at home from family is possible then it’s a good idea to draw
up a rota amongst various family members so that everyone knows what
they’re doing and is clear about who should be providing the care
and when.
Another option is to
move in with family members. This will pretty much ensure that
someone is on hand almost every day to provide care.
Care at home
(professional)
For those who need a
little more care but still feel they’re able to stay at home, then
professional home care may be suitable. There are all sorts of
options available depending on the level of care needed. For example,
there are ‘meals on wheels’-type services available for those
unable to cook, whilst there are also constant daytime care options
for those who aren’t comfortable being left on their own for too
long.
People who receive care
at home may find that they need to adapt their home to help them live
more comfortably. For more information on that, AGE
UK has some really helpful advice.
Care homes
Sometimes care at home
just is possible or practical and therefore a care home or retirement
home is the best option. Those in care homes have access to
round-the-clock care so there’s never need to worry about them
being on their own. There are also a number of other added benefits
to retirement homes, including an array of activities that can help
keep mind and body active. Take the Extra
Care care homes, for instance. They have activities such as arts
& crafts, gardening, IT classes, dance classes, and more.
Alternative housing
options
There are a number of
alternative housing options that fall somewhere in between a
retirement home and having care provided at home. Sheltered housing,
or retirement housing, is a possible option for those who want to
live in a smaller home that’s easier to manage whilst still having
support in the form of on-site wardens who can be alerted through an
alarm.
You can find more about
alternative
housing options here, including AGE UK’s Gifted Housing service
whereby you donate your house to the charity and they ensure you can
stay in your home as long as possible.
* Sponsored Post
I work in a Very Sheltered Housing complex, so it's between sheltered housing and a retirement home, staff are on hand 24 hours but the tenants have their own flats which the staff don't go in apart from at the tenants set care time or if they ring their emergency bell, so they have the security of knowing someone will be there if they are in trouble. It's a great place as the tenants have as much or as little interaction as they want, some don't have any care from us as like you say their family come in and help them, and others have outside agencys (like Care UK) come in and help them, it's their choice x
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Claire, being a Nurse I often see patients in these type of accommodations and I think they are great! I would definitely choose the wardened controlled option when I'm older! x
Delete