Care at home or in a unit: how to compare costs and needs
When an older person needs help, most families first think of keeping them at home. For many people that is the right solution. For others, a care unit offers more safety and less pressure on everyone. To decide, start with the needs and leave the cost for the second step.
Needs first
Answer the following questions honestly, if possible together with their doctor:
- Can they stay alone safely, even at night?
- Do they need help with bathing, dressing or eating?
- Do they take their medicines correctly, or do they need daily supervision?
- Have they fallen in the last year, or do they have difficulty walking?
- Do they spend many hours alone and feel lonely?
- Who in the family can help every day, and for how long?
The more hours of help are needed, the harder it becomes to organize things at home. The need for someone at night or for nursing care usually changes the picture.
Think about the future too. A solution that works today may not work in a year, if health changes or the person helping gets tired. The caregiver's stamina is part of the decision as well, because care that depends on one person alone rarely lasts for long.
Then the cost
The comparison only makes sense if you count all the expenses. At home you do not pay only for the caregiver. There is the rent or the income lost from the property, the bills, heating, the supermarket, medical services, medicines, physiotherapy, the psychologist and incontinence products.
You can enter these amounts one by one in the indicative calculation of expenses at home, which immediately gives the monthly total. Then ask for a personalized price on the Cost of Accommodation page and compare with all the information in front of you. The cost at the unit depends on the person's health, the type of room, medicines and length of stay.
It is not always "one or the other"
There are options between home and permanent accommodation. Enilion's home care brings help to where the older person lives. The Day Center gives them activities and company during the day. A short stay lets you get to know the unit before deciding on anything permanent.
Whichever solution you choose, do not decide without your loved one, as far as this is possible. Our team in Nafpaktos can help you see which option suits best.
Would you like help working out which solution suits your loved one? We are here.