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More than 55 million people in the United States are over the age of 65. That is approximately 16 percent or 1 in 7 people living in the country.
With such a growing population and the rise of effective healthcare, people are living longer. And our ability to care for them in nursing home facilities is quickly diminishing. There is a solution, though, to the growing population and limited care options: aging in place.
Often senior citizens desire to age in their own homes. They want familiar surroundings and familiar people, not a sterile-feeling nursing home with strangers.
Home-based care has become one of the most popular solutions in Florida. Most elderly people prefer aging in place, and Florida is meeting this desire with quality home health care options.
Keep reading to learn more about the popularity of aging in place.
What Is Aging in Place?
The aging in place definition looks much like just staying home and growing old. Generally speaking, it refers to the idea of older adults staying in their homes and outlying communities as their years pass instead of relocating to a nursing home or care setting.
The CDC defines aging in place as the ability of a person to live in their own home and community independently, safely, and comfortably regardless of their income, age, or ability level.
When a community and family members support aging in place, the entire community wins. Community members have the benefit of having older, wiser adults in their community. These adults can share life experiences and give perspective.
Older adults also tend to volunteer more than other age groups. They have more time and can see the great value in giving to their community. Plus, volunteering gets older adults out of their homes and among other people.
Everyone benefits by supporting an older adult who desires to age in place.
Here are some other essential benefits of aging in place.
Minimized Physical Risks
Community-based and home settings provide a safer alternative for older adults. If an older adult needs to quarantine, for example, they’re able to do so effectively in their own home. Older adults are also more familiar with their home settings, which minimizes their physical risks.
Loved ones and community members can make small modifications to an older adult’s home to make it safe as well. Getting rid of throw rugs and installing handrails will make a home safer for an older adult. Then they can continue to enjoy their home and their community.
Furthermore, because of the copious amount of people in a nursing home, infections and illnesses can spread easily. When older adults age in place, they’re exposed to less illness and infection and have a minimal risk of getting sick.
Cost
Nursing home care costs thousands of dollars a week. Home-based care, on the other hand, costs significantly less.
A room in a nursing home in Florida averages approximately $115,000 a year. Comparatively, at-home care costs approximately $18 an hour in Florida.
Not only does the care cost less for aging in place, but an older person has a choice on how they spend their money. They get to pick their food and control their utilities. They can make cost-saving decisions that they wouldn’t have if they were in a care facility.
No Wait List
When a person needs more care than what they can give themselves, they quickly discover a long wait list for a care facility. Nursing homes have a long wait list, sometimes over a year long. When an older person ages at home, there is no waitlist.
You can contact a home-based care service and receive services immediately. You can have an aging-in-place specialist in Florida within a matter of days rather than waiting for weeks, months, and years.
Life Satisfaction and Improved Care
Individuals who age at home tend to receive better quality of care than if they’re living in a care facility. Nursing home nurses and aids are overworked, exhausted, and thus can be short-tempered.
People who work for home-based care enjoy their work. They visit their clients in their own homes and have more freedom than nursing home care workers. As a result, older people get better care because their caregivers are less stressed.
Thus, individuals who age at home have a higher level of life satisfaction. They enjoy their lives more, and they especially appreciate the freedom. Individuals who end up in nursing home care will often refer to their situation as prison or a trap or other negative terms.
When an older person lives at home in a familiar setting, they have memories of their family with them. They can see the pictures hanging on the wall and have nostalgic moments about their environment while receiving home health care.
Medicaid Coverage in Florida
The statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care Program can cover home care costs for Florida residents. Medicaid itself does not directly cover the cost of home care.
This program attempts to provide all of the assistance a senior citizen would receive in a nursing home facility but in the privacy and comfort of their own home. This care includes both medical and non-medical services.
The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly will combine elements of Medicare and Medicaid to cover a senior citizen’s care needs. Furthermore, the Home Care for the Elderly waiver provides a subsidy to every applicant. It also provides tailored subsidies to cover the specific needs of individuals in the program.
Florida has its elder residents covered with care. The Community Care for the Elderly is the final waiver. This waiver focuses on protecting elderly people at risk of elder abuse.
Age in Place With Grace
Aging in place wins over nursing home care. It requires a team of caring, qualified people. Family members and community members work together to give elderly people the best possible care which includes the comfort of their own homes.
Are you looking for quality at-home care for your loved ones? If so, contact us. We seek to provide excellent care to aging adults who desire to stay home for the duration of their lives.
Give us a call today.
