Long Term Care Facilities

Nursing Home Centers vs. Long-Term Care Facility?

If you are shopping for a nursing home, there are many decision to make. You might have heard different terms and wondered what is the difference between a nursing home and a long term care facility. There is actually no real difference between a nursing home and a long term care facility. There is, however, a difference between a nursing home and long term home health care. With a nursing home, the patient lives on the premises and receives care from the staff. With long term home health care, a worker comes to the home to provide medical care and may even perform other duties as well.

In a nursing home, all duties like cooking, housekeeping and the administration of medication is performed by the nursing home employees. When receiving long term home health care, these duties are performed by the home health care worker. There may be a need for more than one worker if the patient needs constant supervision and assistance. The costs for long term care at home versus the costs of a nursing home depend on the situation and the facility. Often you can get assistance from Medicare or Medicaid to cover the expense. If you want to find out more, speak with your local Department of Social Services.

If you are not sure whether or not your loved one will do best in a nursing home or with long term home care, you should list the advantages and disadvantages of each choice before making your decision. Also, you may want to compare costs. Another helpful course of action is to interview nursing homes and home health care providers and make your decision after talking to caregivers on each side. By asking questions and getting more information, you will be better equipped to decide which option is best for your loved one. Finally, if the senior citizen in question has a personal preference, it should definitely be considered. Some seniors are fully able to make their own decisions and should do so, while others who suffer from Alzheimer's and dementia may need help with decision making.