What Is the Best Care Option for a Senior With a Chronic Illness?

The rate at which number of elderly people is increasing in the United States is alarming. The Centers for Disease Control reported that in 2016, 15% of the entire population were 65 years old and above. This elderly population is expected to grow by 44.9% so that there will be 71 million individuals in this category by 2030. By 2060, older adults are expected to comprise 25% of the entire population.

Analysts are specifically concerned about the fact that risks of chronic diseases increase as age progresses. They anticipate that by 2060, the number of people with dementia, Alzheimer’s and other chronic illnesses will also be very high. As a result, there is a need to start planning for medical care needs that will arise during the time.

One way to prepare for this is to purchase long-term care insurance. The services are costly but early purchasers can significantly cut costs. Something else to plan is the care options that will be best for the older people. There are several alternatives to choose from based on personal and health care requirements, as discussed below:

In-Home Care

​Many older people are happy to spend their entire lives in their homes. For dementia patients, this can work very well in the early stages of the disease. Caregivers may be hired to provide the seniors’ basic needs like cleaning, food preparation, and personal care assistance. With professional in-home caregivers, a senior with dementia may continue staying at home.

Adult Day Care and Adult Family Homes

​The programs work well with older dementia patients who require full-time nursing care and are, thus, unable to stay alone at home. The day-care for adults provides supervision and allows interaction among older people. Social opportunities offered by these options are important for mental activities that increase cognitive abilities. Adult family homes often accept a small number of patients to make medical care effective.

Assisted Living Community

​These comprise of apartments within a care community. This alternative is suitable for elderly individuals that are capable of living independently but may need assistance with various tasks. If you reside in Northgate Washington, you can get these services from Longhouse. In assisted living communities, staff are available full-time to help with dressing, transportation, bathing, meals, medication, and housekeeping.

Nursing Home Facilities

​Consider this option only when patients are completely unable to live alone and you find that they need increased medical care and supervision. Nursing homes have all the resources for providing full-time medical attention, and improving quality of life. The facilities also engage patients in a range of activities, enable social interaction, and can provide advanced care if need arises.

Maintaining Care Retirement Communities

​The communities assist patients in all stages of dementia. When dementia advances making the older people unable to live independently, the communities place them in areas with more intense care provision. The unique opportunity offered by this alternative is the ability of spouses to keep living together in the early stages of the disease. Besides, the spouses are never removed from the independent living sections even after the patient is transferred to advanced care level.