The Difference Between Care Homes and Live-In Dementia Care

When deciding between care homes or live-in dementia care, how do you choose the right option for you? Here are the benefits of both to help you decide.

When a loved one starts developing dementia, it can be a very scary, uncertain time for all. Not only do you have to deal with the confusion that comes with the disease, but you are now also faced with the daunting task of finding the right care and support. At this point, we would like to reassure you that help is always at hand

Moreover, if you are trying to decide between moving your loved one to a care home or finding live-in dementia care, we can tell you there are benefits to both options.

However, before we look at the differences between live-in dementia home care and care homes, let’s first understand what these two terms mean.

What are care homes?

Care homes are residences that your loved one can move into. They are specially designed to provide care and support to people coping with dementia. These can be of two types:

• Residential care homes
• Nursing homes

Residential care homes - offer assisted living, where residents get personal care and support with tasks like washing and dressing, taking medicines on time as well as supervision around the clock.

Nursing homes - provide all the facilities of a residential care home, but they also have qualified nurses available to provide medical assistance if needed.

What is live-in dementia care?

Live-in dementia care, care at home or home care are all different ways of saying the same thing – your loved one can stay at home and get the support they need from a live-in care assistant.

The care assistant provides all the support and care that would be available in a care home, except within the comfort of the customer’s own home.

Now that we know the difference between live-in home care and care homes, here are the benefits of both.

What are the advantages of a care home?

Multiple members of staff available 24/7

One of the biggest concerns many have when looking for dementia care is wanting to know that support is available around the clock. A care home can alleviate that worry by having multiple members of staff available 24/7.

No matter if it’s an emergency or just a pair of eyes to make sure everything is okay, care homes can alleviate a lot of this concern.

Monitored environment

The reason why there are multiple members of staff available in a care home is that different residents have different needs, with some requiring more attention than others. Whilst your loved one might be entirely independent, there may be others who need round-the-clock supervision. Therefore, care homes can be the right choice for these people.

The staff at a care home will be aware of the medical needs of every resident, and they will ensure that medications are taken on time or provide proper nutritional care.

No housework

As well as providing support, care homes are also responsible for delivering meals and housekeeping services. This can be a significant advantage for older or physically weak residents.

Since this service is part of the fee, residents don’t need to worry about paying any additional bills or maintenance costs either.

Socialising opportunities

Since a care home is a facility with more than one resident, your loved one has the opportunity to meet other people and socialise. Whilst there is a separate bedroom and bathroom for each person, residents can meet up in shared communal areas like gardens, living and dining areas.

What are the advantages of live-in dementia care?

As we can see, care homes offer many benefits. So, how does live-in dementia care compare?

Independence

Many people suffering from dementia value their independence. However, whilst a care home can provide several amenities within the residential facility, the freedom for your loved one to live life the way they want to may not be one of them.

Now, this is irrelevant if the resident is incapable of managing on their own. Even if they may want to be independent, their physical or mental condition may not allow it.

However, unless the disease has progressed substantially, most people with dementia only need some additional support at home. Live-in care allows this to happen safely whilst providing companionship and support they need.

Familiar surroundings

People living with dementia find their memories affected, so they can find life bewildering and disorienting at times. However, if they are in their own home, the familiar surroundings filled with items that are associated with memories can help ease some of the confusion.

Studies have shown that, if people with dementia live at home they tend to have a better quality of life and much higher activity levels. With a live-in care assistant, they can continue living in the home they love whilst getting the care and support they might require.

No rules or restrictions

Depending on the care home, residents may need to adhere to a set of house rules for the benefit of the other members and employees. For example, most care homes don't allow pets, which can be extremely distressing for those that have animals they love and care for. Similarly, others may have a rule about only one resident per room. As a result, couples who both need care have to be separated.

With live-in care, the only rules are stipulated by the customer or their family. As a result, they can have their pets living with them, which can be immensely beneficial to their physical health and mental well-being. Couples, and even families, can remain together, all helping to take care of each other.

Affordable care

A lot of people are under the misconception that live-in care is prohibitively expensive. However, the truth is entirely different. With home care, you only pay for the time the care assistant spends with your loved one.

On the other hand, in a care home, you would need to pay for the living space, food, amenities, overheads, bills and maintenance costs, all of which would be included in the fee. In fact, you are looking for care for a married couple, home care or live-in-care is more cost effective than moving both to a care home. In this case, they will be paying the fee twice over, whereas in their own home, their living cost would be much less.

The only possible expense that comes with home care might be if you need to alter the setting to make it safer or more practical for your loved one.

As you can see, there are many differences between live-in dementia care and care homes that could help you decide which one’s the better choice for your loved one. If you require live-in dementia care service for a family member, please contact us, we will be happy to discuss our services with you.