If you have an elderly loved one, such as a parent, who is losing the ability to care for themselves without assistance, then it is always a tough decision deciding how to help them. Should you suggest they move to a nursing home? Should you suggest home care? While no two seniors are alike, of course, suggesting a move to a nursing facility before you have truly vetted home care could lead to you and them missing out on the best care option. Take these three benefits of home care into account while you make this tough decision. 

1. Your Loved One May Receive Less Attention at a Nursing Home

There has been a shortage of nurses in the US for several years now, and the shortage is not contained to hospitals. Many nursing homes have only one nurse supervising and treating an entire large group of patients, such as 30 or more, at any given time. In many areas of the country, there are also shortages of nurses' aids, who are the staff members who work one-on-one with patients the most. Nurses' aids assist patients in basic daily care, such as showering, toileting, and every other small task imaginable that your loved one cannot perform on his or her own. 

This shortage of nursing home employees leads to every patient in a nursing home receiving less one-on-one time with staff, When you opt for home care instead, you can be assured that every hour a home-care worker spends in your loved one's home is time dedicated to the one and only patient present.

2. Your Senior Can Eat the Foods They Are Used To 

Imagine if you were suddenly in a place that served new food you had never eaten or just plain didn't like, and you felt you had to eat it, because it was included in the cost of a package you paid for. For most people, food is not just fuel, but eating is instead an enjoyable experience filled with tasty foods that can turn a bad day into a good one. 

While most nursing facilities do offer patients different choices of entrees and side dishes they can choose from for meals, these choices are typically limited, and your loved one may not even like any of the offerings. This can be an advantage for seniors who must follow strict diets they refuse to follow when at home, such as if they are suffering from diabetes; many seniors instead actually struggle to keep weight on

When your favorite senior obtains home care, you can help them stock their homes with tasty and healthy foods they enjoy eating without feeling guilty about this being an extra expense when meals they don't like are already included in the price of their nursing home costs. 

Many tough decisions arise when determining how you can best help a senior who has begun to lose the ability to care for themselves. Keep these two advantages of choosing home care for your loved one instead of suggesting they move into a nursing facility. Remember that if you try home care and decide later it is not best for your loved one, then the opportunity to later help them move into a nursing home will always be there. Click here for info about home caregivers.

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