The Benefits of Aging in Place
At Preferred Provider Services, we know how much elderly adults value living at home. But given the challenges of aging, we also know how hard it can be to choose between aging in place and senior living facilities.
This decision is easier for many families when they’re aware of how living at home benefits seniors. Seniors who age in place enjoy a sense of independence and comfort that only home can provide. They also enjoy better health outcomes on average, despite lower care costs.
Here’s a closer look at a few of the reasons why home is so important to seniors’ quality of life.
Maintaining Independence
For seniors, maintaining independence is important to mental and physical health. At a certain point, elderly adults need help from others to accomplish everyday tasks. At this point, total independence is no longer possible. However, with help from family, friends, mobile medical services such as those provided at Preferred Provider Services, and other professional caregivers, seniors can maintain aspects of independence while still living at home. Most important of all, elderly adults have control over their routines, activities, and life decisions.
This kind of independence isn’t possible for elderly adults who move to senior living facilities. In senior care facilities, residents have reduced control over their lives and routines. By aging in place, seniors can maintain a greater degree of personal independence and they enjoy a sense of dignity unavailable to many elderly adults.
Preserving the Emotional Value of the Home
A person’s home is the key to their life and memories, offering a sense of familiarity, comfort, and security. For seniors, the emotional value of home is far more important than its monetary value. Elderly adults cherish having a space that is truly their own. While some seniors quickly adapt to facility living, for many it never truly feels at home in a nursing home or assisted living facility. Being allowed to age at home is a critical and underrated factor in seniors’ quality of life.
Staying Healthier and Safer
Being allowed to age at home provides a healthier and safer environment! Several studies have found that nursing home residents have worse health outcomes than seniors who choose to age in place, given similar health. Some of the key elements in this are the emotional toll of leaving home. Homesick seniors are at higher risk of stress and depression, both of which accelerate physical and cognitive decline.
Another reason is the risk of infection. Studies have shown that nursing home residents are at much higher risk of bacterial and viral infections, including life-threatening infections such as pneumonia, flu, and other respiratory infections. Aging in place improves the quality of life, which improves their physical health. It also insulates them from the bacterial and viral risks found in senior living facilities, reducing their chances of contracting a serious or fatal illness.
Saving Money
Finally, there is a tremendous cost savings for seniors and their families for aging at home. In Colorado the average monthly cost of an assisted living center can run in excess of $5,000 per month, not including special services which are an additional charge.
Aging in place also comes with a price tag. Some seniors may need to modify their homes to make them safer and more accessible. Others may need to hire an in-home caregiver to assist with light housekeeping, routine errands, or activities of daily living. However, these costs are typically less expensive than living in an assisted living or nursing facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who choose to age in place can save thousands of dollars per month in care costs.
Age in Place Denver Metro Area
Do you have a loved one who could benefit from aging in place? Preferred Provider Services can help make life at home easier for seniors through home health care visits by a nurse practitioner and medical doctor. Contact us for more information.