According to the National Center for Assisted Living, there are approximately 1 million assisted living beds nationwide—does your loved one belong in one? Perhaps your loved one wouldn’t want to become a nursing home resident but would rather stay at home. But how do you provide proper care for an older adult? After all, many seniors need special medical care and help with routine daily activities. This is not a problem for New Yorkers today. There are many alternatives to assisted living with advantages and drawbacks. Read on to weigh your options and explore assisted living alternatives in NYC, or call (718) 247-8300 to speak directly with a care coordinator near you.
Contents:
What Are the Pitfalls of Assisted Living?
What assisted living alternatives in New York can you choose for your loved one?
Decided to Stay with Home Care?
Book a Free Assisted Living Consultation in New York City
Are You Ready To Leave Home?
According to research by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), as many as 90% of Americans plan to age in place, enjoying their golden years in the comfort of their homes.
If your loved one is among them, you should know that home care is one of the affordable alternatives to assisted living that can meet almost any care need.
At Galaxy Home Care, we offer a complete continuum of support services, wherever and whenever you require it, ranging from basic homemaking and companionship services to skilled care from registered nurses. Through personalized support and full assistance with activities of daily living, we’ve helped hundreds of NYC residents successfully age in place, and we can do the same for your family.
Are you looking for an alternative to a nursing home? Read the next section for the list we have prepared or take a look at our services.
What Are the Pitfalls of Assisted Living?
Depending on your care needs, assisted living may not be viable. According to research by the AARP:
- 83% of facilities provide access to a pharmacy;
- 82% of facilities provide dietary and nutritional guidance;
- 71% of facilities provide physical, occupational, or speech therapy;
- 66% of facilities provide skilled nursing care;
- 55% of facilities provide mental health services or counseling;
- 51% of facilities provide social worker services;
- 14% of facilities provide special memory care units;
- 7% of facilities provide dementia care.
Besides assisted living, you can also choose another way to care for your elderly relative. What are the alternatives to assisted living, and what advantages and drawbacks do they have?
What assisted living alternatives in New York can you choose for your loved one?
Why do some elderly not like assisted living? First, it may be too emotionally difficult for a senior to leave home and live with strangers. Second, it is quite an expensive service, and not every family can afford it. But are there good alternatives to assisted living and nursing homes? Yes, and we have described for you the five most common alternatives.
In-home care
This type of assisted living alternative is prevalent among seniors because they can stay in their own homes but still get the care they need.
Sometimes, a family member takes over the care of an elderly relative. But first, it takes a lot of time and energy, and the person may not pay enough attention to their private life, career, and children.
Second, caring for an older adult might require basic medical knowledge. If a relative, friend, or volunteer isn’t qualified, they will not be able to provide proper care.
Therefore, in the case of in-home care, the services of caregivers are often used. The average cost of a professional caregiver is about $25 per hour. The price for the whole month can reach up to $2,500. So, it isn’t a cheap alternative to expensive assisted living.
But these expenses may be partially covered by Medicare, depending on what services your relative needs. Some types of Medicare may cover skilled nursing care, physical therapy, home health aide services, and medical services. Medicare does not cover home help or errands like shopping, cleaning the house, or sending mail.
When choosing a caregiver, the main thing is to pay attention to the potential candidate’s soft skills. After all, your loved one should be comfortable spending time with their caregiver. You can also choose a professional depending on the tasks they will have to perform. Typically, a caregiver performs the following tasks:
- Different household chores, such as laundry, cleaning, watering flowers, and more;
- Various errands like picking up and sending out correspondence, going grocery shopping;
- Cooking;
- Bathing;
- Socializing.
This type of elder care has a lot of pros, but there are also some disadvantages. Let’s take a closer look at them:
Pros
- Your loved one can stay at home;
- The caregiver can devote all of their attention to just one person;
- The caregiver will have an individual approach to your loved one;
- The older person will not be lonely.
Cons
- It is quite expensive;
- Finding the right person can be quite tricky, and sometimes it takes a long time;
- For the older adult to stay within their own walls, it is sometimes necessary to perform complex and fairly expensive home modifications;
- A caregiver will not be able to stay with your loved one around the clock anyway.
Respite Care
If you are taking care of your elderly parent yourself and would like to rest, such alternatives to assisted living facilities are a good option. If your loved one has their own full-time professional caregiver who needs to be away for a while, or if you are changing caregivers and need temporary help, respite care is also a good solution.
Respite care can be performed in many ways. For example, a caregiver comes to the older person’s home or the senior moves to where they get necessary care. Many assisted living facilities provide respite care services. Respite care can last from a few hours to a few weeks.
Pros
- An older adult can stay at home;
- There are no major changes in the adult‘s life, which means there is not a lot of stress;
- Permanent caregiver can get some rest and recovery time.
Cons
- The older person may not feel comfortable with a temporary caregiver, and it can be stressful
- This is only a short-term solution.
Medical Alert Systems
Medical alert systems are also called personal emergency response systems (PERS). With this system, a person can contact a caregiver or emergency responders anytime. The medical alert system sends your request to a monitoring center, where a care professional receives it. This professional sends someone to help you and informs your relatives of the incident. To send a call for help, all you have to do is push a button.
This system costs about $20 to $30 a month. It is the most affordable assisted living alternative in New York. But remember that this cost may be higher because some devices may have extra features that you will have to pay for.
With medical alert systems, you can choose different features depending on the needs of your loved ones. Some devices have a button that attaches to the wrist or around the neck. It can also be a handy portable device or a button on the wall. It can be activated by pressing a button or with a voice command.
Medical alert systems allow you to get immediate medical help. But it won’t help you do housework, get dressed, bathe, or go to the store.
Let’s take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of the medical alert system.
Pros
- Because of the low price, it is affordable to everyone;
- Allows an older adult to have a lot of freedom and independence;
- Can be combined with other types of home care;
- The older person can stay in their own home;
- Provides immediate medical attention when needed;
- Can be used both inside and outside the home.
Cons
- False alarms may occur;
- Not always the older adult wants to carry the device, and sometimes they may forget to wear it;
- Client receives medical care only in emergencies;
- The older adult may still feel lonely without social interaction.
Adult Daycare
Adult daycare centers have recently become popular in the United States. These centers are suitable for busy people who do not want to send their elderly parents to a nursing home but do not have the opportunity to give them full attention at home.
While you go to work or do other things that are important to you, your loved one spends time in a safe place with other seniors. In an adult daycare center, they are under the supervision of qualified caregivers, interact with other people, eat, and take part in various recreational activities. Your loved one can live at home with family, but you do not have to worry about his safety while you are away.
The cost of adult daycare in the United States ranges from $25 to $100 per day and about $1,500 per month.
This alternative to nursing home care can have the following pros and cons:
Pros
- Relatively low cost for professional care during the day;
- This kind of care is partially covered by Medicare;
- Social integration;
- Your loved one’s safety.
Cons
- An older adult cannot stay overnight in this type of center;
- Seniors do not get professional protection and medical care when at home.
Adult Family Homes
Up to 10 older adults usually live together in these homes. It typically looks very cozy, like a domestic setting.
Because so few people live there, a caregiver can spend more time with each person and provide more personalized care.
Your loved one will get a room, daily meals, and laundry at an adult family home. You can also choose a home that provides special care for people with health issues. The adult family home always has a staff member who stays around the clock and can help the residents anytime.
An adult family home costs anywhere from $2,000 to $7,000 per month. This price depends on what services the house has to offer. When selecting an adult family home, ensure they are licensed by your local governing body.
Life in these homes is comfortable, which is why they are popular with seniors. While you attend to your life’s tasks, your loved one is well protected and will receive the care they need.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of adult family homes:
Pros
- Lower cost compared to assisted living;
- Small number of residents;
- Cozy, home-like atmosphere;
- Personalized care;
- 24/7 care;
- Opportunity for social integration.
Cons
- Limited transportation options compared to assisted living;
- Some seniors do not want to live with other people.
Decided to Stay with Home Care?
Before you choose between home care and assisted living facilities, take a closer look at the home care environment.
As we grow older, some of us will experience mobility loss, balance issues, and declining eyesight, all of which make seemingly innocuous structural features, such as steep staircases and deep bathtubs, rather dangerous. If your home has design features that might make life difficult as you age, assisted living might be the better option.
You should also look for other potential health hazards in the home environment, including
- Mold or water damage,
- Poor air quality,
- Lead paint.
Additionally, if your home requires a significant amount of upkeep, perhaps due to a large, sprawling garden or a big pool, it may not be the best place for an older person to settle down.
If aging in place is your goal, our home care services can make it possible for just about anyone. We support you in all activities of daily living, eliminating mobility restrictions and unnecessary stressors. We also help you upgrade the home for healthy aging, installing grab-bars and anti-slip mats, changing out lighting, decluttering spaces, and more.
Book a Free Assisted Living Consultation in New York City
We always want to give our loved ones only the best. Whether they go to a nursing home or choose to age at home, we always have the best options for them. In this article, we have described several inexpensive alternatives to assisted living. You can choose something depending on your needs: staying at home with your family or living with the other seniors, receiving uninterrupted medical care or only in emergencies.
If you have questions about assisted living alternatives in NYC, contact our company. At Galaxy Home Care, you will get detailed advice on this issue. If you need care services for your loved one, contact our team:
- Call us at (718) 247-8300;
- Email us at info@galaxyhomecareny.com;
- Fill out our quick and easy contact form.
FAQ
What are the alternatives to assisted living?
Besides assisted living, you can also choose other ways to care for your parents. There are several alternatives to assisted living. The most common options are: respite care, adult daycare, in-home care, adult family homes, and medical alert systems.
What is the difference between home care and assisted living?
If you select in-home care for your elderly, they will not have to leave their homes. The caregiver will be able to visit them every day at the scheduled time. An in-home caregiver helps with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, and more.
If assisted living is picked, seniors live in special communities with other seniors. Here, they get the necessary care from the caregivers anytime of the day or night.
How do we decide what the most appropriate living situation is?
When selecting effective alternatives to assisted living, it is worth relying primarily on the individual characteristics and needs of the person. For some people, staying within their own homes is paramount. Home care is good for them. Some need socialization and ongoing medical services. They are better off choosing living at nursing homes, where caregivers attend to elderly clients around the clock. In any case, you should analyze many factors before making a decision. After all, the health and emotional well-being of your loved one depends on your choice.
What is the average cost of assisted living in NY?
According to the Genworth Cost of Care Survey 2021, full-time assisted living in NY costs on average $5,750 per month. But you can also consider more affordable alternatives to assisted living for your senior relatives.
