For many seniors, the thought of “ending up in a nursing home” frightens them. One study has shown that about 90 percent of seniors want to live at home rather than moving to an assisted living facility or nursing home.

Fortunately, aging-in-place is easier to do now than in the past, and more seniors are choosing home care as a result. If you’re in doubt or undecided, here are five great reasons why aging-in-place, when possible, is the best route to take.

1. Aging in Place Costs Less

The average annual cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home is over $93,000 per year, and for a private room, it’s over $105,000 per year. Medicare doesn’t cover long-term placement, though it can help cover in-home help on a part-time basis. If the senior is homebound and a doctor has ordered it, Medicare does cover part-time skilled nursing care and home health aide care.

2. Aging-in-Place is More Comfortable

There’s no place like home. A favorite chair, a mattress that is broken in perfectly, the smells, the temperature, being familiar with everything – these all are benefits of staying in your own home.

Also, in a nursing home, seniors are likely to have to deal with a roommate they didn’t pick if they’re in a semi-private situation. Giving up privacy, which is part of aging with dignity, can increase stress and feelings of resentment.

3. Aging-in-Place Helps Slow the Advancement of Memory Loss

Loss of memory is of great concern for many people as they age, and being moved from familiar surroundings into an institutional environment can worsen the progression of memory loss. Studies have shown that in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, smells increase memory recall. Staying at home helps ensure familiar sights, sounds, and smells to help keep people connect cognitively.

4. Aging-in-Place Strengthens Social Networks

Aging-in-place allows seniors to keep their current social network and expand upon it. They can stay near their friends and have the freedom to host social events if they prefer – even if it’s just having a friend over for a visit.

Many communities have very active senior centers that help seniors expand their social circle with older adults as they join senior groups and participate in various activities.

5. Aging-in-Place Keeps Seniors Independent Longer

Seniors have spent most of their lives working, so retirement should be about doing what they want to do. Staying at home allows seniors to be more independent and make their own decisions in many areas. They can often still schedule their own activities with home care, unlike a nursing home where they have to comply with a group schedule.

Bottom Line

Seniors choose home care because staying at home is better for their physical and emotional health than being in a facility that they don’t want to be in. They eat better, sleep better, and laugh more often when they’re in their own home.

We Can Help!

At Home Instead, our mission is lifting the spirits of those we serve by offering them dependable and affordable home care options as we help them age-in-place. To learn more about Home Instead Senior Care or to schedule a FREE consultation for a senior in Naples, Fort Myers, Charlotte County, or the surrounding areas today, please visit us at www.homeinsteadswfl.com.