In-Home Care Or Assisted Living In Orange: Weighing Your Options

By Rue Nichols


At some point in one's life, everyone needs some extra help and this is certainly true as we age. If you do need help with many chores of daily life, which includes everything from cooking to cleaning to bathing and getting dressed, you might be weighing whether or not to hire in-home help or perhaps moving into a facility for assisted living in Orange County. The following information can help you weigh your options.

If you are shopping around either for in-home care or assisted living in Tustin, assisted living in Fullerton or elsewhere in Orange County, you probably have noticed that assisted living usually is more expensive than hiring an in-home caregiver. However, in-home care can be expensive if you have many tasks for the caregiver to accomplish each day. If all you need is help with housekeeping and perhaps running errands, in-home care can be great, affordable option. If you need more personal care than that, then you will see the cost of in-home care begin to rise.

You might prefer the idea of assisted living, but unsure how to pay for the expense of this living situation. Selling your home and the contents of the home certainly is one option. Additionally, you might be able to qualify for long-term care insurance, although typically you must begin paying for this when you are fairly young. It is wise to sit down and calculate your current monthly expenses, which include everything from insurance premiums to food costs to utility costs. Most of these expenses will be eliminated by moving into assisted living, so you may find that your monthly expenditures won't increase exponentially.

One of the biggest perks of assisted living in Orange County is the huge list of amenities and services that tend to be included. In addition to the monthly fee for your assisted living apartment, most communities also include three meals per day as well as snacks in the fees. Weekly housekeeping services and weekly laundry services also typically are included. Most communities for assisted living in Tustin, Fullerton or throughout Orange County also will include help with dressing, grooming, bathing and toileting as well as medication management.

It is important, however, that before you sign on the dotted line you fully understand what is included in your fees each month. Some services that you need might be an extra expense, so it is crucial that you read your contract very thoroughly. It is wise to have several people look at the document, perhaps even a lawyer, to ensure that you know exactly what you are signing. While some facilities for assisted living in Orange County are all-inclusive, some will charge extra for services such as daily grooming or help with medications so be sure you know for what you are paying.

One perk you will enjoy at a community for assisted living in Orange County that living at home will not provide is the socialization. Too often, an older adult ends up homebound. They might not drive anymore and perhaps many of their friends don't drive either. It can be tough for friends and family to find time to drive them to activities and they end up spending most of their time alone or spending days with a caregiver, which isn't equal to the companionship of friends and family. With assisted living, there are always residents around and there are many scheduled activities and special events. This can keep a person from becoming socially isolated, which leads to issues such as depressions and other health problems.




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