This document discusses 5 things to consider before choosing in-home care for aging parents: 1) In-home care requires ongoing family involvement in managing caregiving tasks and backup care options, 2) Home maintenance tasks like grocery shopping and lawn mowing still need to be done, 3) In-home care can increase social isolation for seniors who are dependent on others for transportation, 4) Home health care costs are billed hourly and can add up quickly depending on care needs, and 5) Caregiving responsibilities can place stress on family relationships and self-care if not managed properly.

1. 5 Things to Consider Before
Choosing In-home Care
When your parents need assistance in their daily life, in-home care might seem like
the best option. Maybe your parents want to remain in their own home for as long as
possible, and you want to respect that choice. Or perhaps your loved one only needs a
few hours of home health care a day, and you’re worried about assisted living costs.
Although in-home care is an option that works well for many people, there are some
things you should consider before choosing in-home care.

2. 1 In-home Care Requires
Ongoing Family Involvement
On average, family caregivers spend 24.4 hours
per week providing care, and nearly one-quarter
of caregivers spend 41 hours or more per week
providing care, according to the National Alliance
for Caregiving and AARP. Additionally, caregivers
spend 13 hours per month researching care services
or information on disease, coordinating physician
visits, or managing financial matters. Do you and
your family have time for the ongoing involvement
in-home care requires for hiring and managing
caregivers as well as planning backup care options?

3. 2
You Still Need to Go to
the Grocery Store and
Mow the Lawn
In-home care allows your parents to stay in
their home as they age, but it also means that
housekeeping and home maintenance need to be
done and groceries and personal care and household
supplies need to be bought. Does your loved one
have transportation to the grocery store or the
mobility to mow the lawn?

4. 3 In-home Care Can Increase
Social Isolation
When seniors live at home alone, they are often
isolated, which can lead to serious consequences
for senior health, including depression, cognitive
decline, or health problems. In-home care can
sometimes contribute to this isolation. For example,
if your loved one can no longer drive, they are now
dependent on their in-home caregiver, family, or
friends for all their trips. They can only participate
in activities when someone else picks them up or
are willing to take them along. Would your loved
one benefit from a community where they can find a
strong social environment and support network?

5. 4 Home Health Care Is
Billed on an Hourly Basis
There are multiple types of home care, including
personal care and companionship, private duty
nursing care, and home health care, and the hourly
cost ranges from $13 to $30 per hour. If your parents
don’t need extensive services, home health care
costs can be lower than assisted living. However, the
costs can quickly add up, especially if the medical
problems your loved one is facing are complex
or likely to change over time. Does your parent
have high care needs or a chronic condition, such
as diabetes, congestive heart failure, or chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease?

6. 5
You Might End Up
Putting Stress on Your
Relationships
Although caregiving can be an incredibly rewarding
experience, if the stress of caregiving is left
unchecked, it can have an impact on the family
caregiver’s health, relationships, and state of mind.
Research shows that longer-term caregivers were
significantly less happy in their marriages than those
who recently assumed the caregiving role, and the
demands of caregiving may also generate familial
conflict about care decisions. Have you stopped
doing the things you used to do because you don’t
feel you have the time or energy or you just want
some time to yourself with no demands?

7. Who We Are
Our customers take comfort in the fact that The Arbors is a locally owned family business. Our residents are
proud to call The Arbors home with our exceptional staff and the kind of experience that comes only from a
family owned and operated company who pays attention to the little details.
®The Arbors. All Rights Reserved.