Senior Care Terms: 24-Hour Care versus Live-In Care
Senior Care in Palos Verdes CA
As a family caregiver, understanding the most common terms you are likely to hear in your senior care is an important step in making the decisions that are right for you and your elderly loved ones. Sometimes this can be confusing because the terms seem very similar when they actually mean very different things, potentially making it difficult to determine which style of care is the one that you are truly interested in for your seniors. By evaluating each of these terms you can ensure you understand them fully and can use that understanding to choose the treatment approach ideal for your loved ones.
One of these sets of sometimes confusing terms is 24-hour care versus live-in care. While it seems that these two terms likely refer to the same type of care and assistance, they are actually quite different when it comes to the level of care and assistance that they provide, and the type of seniors for which each is the most appropriate choice in care.
24-hour Care
This type of care is exactly what it sounds like: senior care that is available to your parents 24 hours a day. Having care available in the home 24 hours a day requires more than one care provider, usually one that provides care during the day, one that provides care at night, and one that acts as a relief person at different points during the week to allow the primary care providers to have time off. This is the ideal care arrangement for those seniors who need to have someone who is awake, alert, and on duty at all times of the day, such as those who need frequent assistance with toileting and mobility, and those who have wandering tendencies
Live-in Care
This term is less clear and is one that often confuses family caregivers. Many caregivers think this is what their parents need when they actually need 24-hour care because of the term “live-in.” This term, however, refers to having two or more care providers that provide care in shifts throughout the week. Each care provider is in the home with the seniors for 24 hours, but she is not expected to be awake and alert to provider care at night, and has the expectation of personal time in the evening and in the morning. This type of care is ideal for seniors who simply feel more comfortable having someone else in the home with them, or who may need occasional emergency assistance during the night. For this type of care, the care provider must have a separate, private, dedicated sleeping area as well as access to basic amenities of the home including the shower and the kitchen to prepare meals.
It is important to closely evaluate the level of care that your elderly loved ones need so that you can determine which type of care would give them the assistance and support necessary while also encouraging independence and autonomy as they age in place.
If you or an aging loved one needs senior care services in Palos Verdes, CA, call Livewell Private Care at (310) 933-4986. Servicing Los Angeles, CA and the surrounding areas.