Growing older comes with plenty of hopes and opinions about how you would like to spend the next phase of life. For most adults aged 55 or older, living at home is a priority — but it can also be a challenge. Many older adults and their families feel concerned about safety, health, and social challenges.
Living at home as you age requires careful consideration and planning. Home care services create a bridge to the lifestyle you want in the home you love.
The Rewards and Challenges of Living at Home
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, aging in place is “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.”
Living at home is a reasonable choice, even with health challenges. Aging shouldn’t mean leaving a place you love if you don’t want to. So much of your life happened in your home, especially if you’ve lived there for decades. You may feel sentimental and practical ties, particularly if your children live nearby. If you’re married, you may prefer living at home with your spouse over moving to senior living — together or separately. You may be reluctant to give up a beloved garden, sunroom, or other space that feels uniquely yours.
There may be plenty of good reasons for wanting to age in place, but you may face challenges, too. About a quarter of older adults are socially isolated, and a third report feeling lonely. Loneliness doesn’t just feel bad; it’s not good for your health. Social isolation increases the risk of dementia by about 60%, and weak social relationships correlate with a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.
Meaningful, regular connection with others is critical to your health but can be difficult if you live in a remote area, are single, or do not drive. Some other challenges of living at home as you age include:
- Reliance on loved ones: Counting on others for support can decrease your sense of independence.
- Family conflict: If you rely on loved ones for support, you may experience more family conflict, especially if the roles of parent and child become reversed.
- Time constraints: Preparing meals, shopping, repairing your home, and other routine tasks can eat into the time you would rather spend pursuing your dreams.
How At-Home Care Services Meet Your Needs
Don’t let the challenges of living at home discourage you — senior home care services are available to assist with daily tasks, health concerns, and social connections. These resources come in various forms, including medical and non-medical options. You can sign up for weekly meal delivery, hire someone to assist with personal care and housekeeping, find at-home nursing care or physical therapy, and more. You can tailor care to suit your needs, preferences, and time requirements.
Home care services provide more than simply an extra pair of hands around the house. They also empower you to healthily, happily, and safely age in place with the following benefits:
1. Comfort and Familiarity
Moving can create stress and anxiety, even if the transition is for a good reason. Aging in your own space, in the way you want, may come with challenges but can be worth the rewards of comfort and familiarity. Sitting at your kitchen table, relaxing on your sofa, or enjoying the view from your outdoor space brings to mind a life’s worth of memories. Living in your own space means you can maintain your daily routines.
2. Personalized Care
Want nutrition coaching to help you eat healthy at any age? Wish someone could lend a hand with housekeeping? Need specialized care during recovery from an upcoming surgery? When you choose senior home care services, whether medical or non-medical, you can tailor assistance to meet your needs and preferences. Plus, you’ll benefit from caregivers' one-on-one attention.
3. Safety and Security
As you change with age, your home environment may also need to change. Home care team members are trained to recognize potential hazards and help you take preventive measures, such as installing grab bars or ensuring your home is free from tripping hazards. You’ll also experience peace of mind knowing that someone is there to respond to emergencies and lend a hand with tasks that could pose safety risks.
4. Social Engagement
At-home care provides personalized, one-on-one interactions and tailored activities that cater to your interests and needs. Your caregiver can engage in meaningful conversations, assist with your passion projects, and facilitate participation in local community events. They can also set up virtual interactions with family and friends, bridging the gap created by distance or mobility issues. Home care promotes emotional well-being and decreases isolation, ensuring that older adults remain socially active and engaged.
5. Cost-Effectiveness
By receiving care in your home, you can avoid the costs associated with a senior living community and enjoy a tailored care plan that addresses your specific needs. Home care services are flexible, allowing families to choose the desired level of support and control costs. Plus, this personalized care can prevent hospitalizations and emergency room visits by managing health conditions more effectively and providing proactive care.
Home care services are more affordable than you might think, depending on your location and needs. Explore the details of your insurance coverage, ask your care providers about flexible payment options, and research local and national government programs that provide financial assistance for older adults’ care needs.
WesleyLife’s Home Care Service Options
WesleyLife is here to help you continue living in your home — even as your needs change. Our offerings include:
WellAhead — A WesleyLife Well-Being Experience
A unique membership program designed for those who plan to live at home as they age, WellAhead works to enhance well-being while ensuring any necessary future long-term care costs are 100% covered from day one. As a member, you'll benefit from a variety of services to enthusiastically enable your choice to live safely, healthfully, and independently in your own home.
Non-Medical Assistance
Non-medical home services are part personal assistant, part support for better health. We can monitor your vitals, take care of your grocery shopping, help you cook healthy meals, change your sheets, fold your laundry, and even walk your dog. Whatever the request, chances are we can support it.
Home Healthcare Services
If you need support due to an illness or chronic condition or require post-hospitalization assistance, our teams of nurses, certified nursing assistants, and aides will coordinate with your doctor to provide the care you require. From wound care and medication management to therapy, health education, and more, our services are designed to help prevent hospitalization or re-hospitalization and maximize your health and comfort at home, and costs are almost always covered by insurance.
Hospice
WesleyLife Hospice services help your loved one live life the way they want to as long as they are able. WesleyLife Hospice focuses on what your loved one can and wants to do in this stage of life and offers support for the whole family.
Meals on Wheels
Receive a great meal delivered by a caring driver who will stop and chat for a moment to ensure your day is going well!
Adult Day
Our award-winning adult day services provide respite and support while family caregivers are at work or tending to other responsibilities. We help individuals with memory challenges enjoy a sense of independence while receiving care, and we make sure they participate in meaningful programming that makes them look forward to coming back the next day.
Aging Is an Opportunity
Aging in your own home, in your own way, is possible with at-home care services that enhance your quality of life. These services create a tailored and supportive living environment, empowering older adults to live with independence, well-being, and joy.
Whether you’re exploring these at-home resources for yourself or a loved one, find all the information you need with The Complete Guide to At-Home Services.
