In-Home Care or Assisted Living in Dallas: Get to Know Your Options

September 30, 2020

Your loved one may not need 24/7 nursing care. But maybe you’ve noticed daily tasks have become too difficult. Help with tasks like medications, meals, or bathing is often the first type of care seniors need. That’s when families start to look at in-home senior care options or assisted living.

Both of these choices have their own benefits. And it’s helpful to compare the services and costs of each. To help you make the best decision for your entire family, we’ve provided a quick comparison of in-home senior care versus assisted living options.

In-home care

• Costs: When it comes to costs, in-home care has a wide range. That’s because it’s based on the services and amount of time your loved one needs. Some companies charge by the hour. Or you can have additional fees for care provided overnight. Especially for those who only need help a few hours a day, in-home care is usually the lowest cost.

On the other hand, if you want care provided every day or for long hours, the costs of in-home senior care may no longer make sense. The National Center for Assisted Living says the average median cost across the U.S. for homemaker services is $48,048 a year. However, you’ll also have costs like house repairs, yard upkeep, or utilities on top of that.

• Services: In-home care providers don’t offer nursing care like home health. But they do provide help with house and self-care tasks for a set number of hours each day. Services you can expect from in-home care include help with:
  • Meals and eating
  • Getting dressed
  • Grooming or baths
  • Cleaning and laundry
  • Medication reminders
  • Going to the bathroom

• Benefits: Most families find the biggest benefit of in-home care is keeping their loved one in the family home longer. By and large, for those that only need a little help, in-home care provides the care they need where they are. It can also provide some day-to-day companionship with caregivers.

Assisted living

• Costs: Like in-home care, several factors may affect your cost. Communities may let you pick from different levels of support. Factors like senior living apartment  size or floor plans can also change your cost.

In the U.S., the average cost of assisted living was just over $4,000 a month in 2019, according to a study by Genworth. That comes to about $48,000 a year. In general, this cost not only includes care but also includes living expenses, like rent, utilities, and meals.

• Services: Our assisted living community provides many of the same services as in-home care. These include meals, dressing, grooming, medication reminders, and bathing. However, you’ll probably find senior living communities  offer several other services. Some added services included in the cost of assisted living include:
  • Social events
  • Rides to medical appointments
  • Utilities
  • Wellness and exercise programs
  • Staff on-site 24/7
  • Apartment maintenance
  • Maintained outdoor spaces

• Benefits: The AARP says the social aspect of assisted living communities adds value for many. Senior residents particularly benefit from being around peers. They are also less likely to deal with isolation because they have numerous activities. Even more, having people nearby around-the-clock can relieve worries about safety.

Overall, assisted living may have long-term benefits. Some seniors who start with in-home care eventually need more help. Assisted living communities often provide other levels of senior care all within the same location. For example, Monticello West offers memory care support in addition to assisted living. This can make care changes smoother in the future.

Want to know more about our assisted living community in Dallas, TX? Call Monticello West at 214-528-0660 to find out all the ways we support your loved one.