Many seniors are faced with advancing medical conditions, as they get older. These conditions often make it more difficult to remain alone in their homes. They often require additional assistance, and are unable to provide for themselves in the same way. Their medical conditions may require routine medications and treatment options. Many seniors are also faced with cases of dementia and Alzheimer?s, making it unsafe to live alone. However, with the emergence of home assistance companies, seniors are able to stay in their own homes, while still receiving the care that they require.
Seniors choose different types of assistance as they age. Sometimes the living decision may be made by the adult children. Other times, it may be the decision of the senior. Annually 8,357,100 people receive support from the 5 main long term care service, home health agencies (4,742,500), nursing homes (1,383,700), hospices (1,244,500), residential care communities (713,300) and adult day service centers (273,200). Each of these agencies provide seniors with additional day to day assistance, but they vary in terms of the amount of assistance and monitoring they offer.
The specific type of care agency will depend on a variety of factors, including the amount of assistance needed, how safe it is for the person to remain alone, and the extent of the medical conditions. For example, someone with serious medical conditions may benefit more from a nursing home or hospice center, where medical care is always available. Although home health care products can be very beneficial for those wanting to stay in the comfort of their own homes, they may not be the best option for those who require extensive medical care.
More seniors today are choosing to live in some type of a senior living community, but not in a nursing home or hospice setting. The nursing home setup lacks the privacy and comfort that many seniors desire. As of February of 2015, the vast majority, 80%, of elderly people receiving assistance, including many with several functional limitations, live in private homes in the community, not in institutions. These private homes seem to fit the best of both worlds, offering assistance at home without requiring the move to a more institutionalized setting. Also, family members can feel more at ease, knowing that their loved ones are getting advanced caring for seniors, but that they are also satisfied with their living conditions.
The need for home health care products and help at home services are expected to increase. We are coming up on a generation of baby boomers who are expected to need additional senior services. In 2010, there were 40.3 million people aged 65 and above, comprising 13% of the overall population. (This total is 12 times the number it was in 1900, when this group constituted only 4.1% of the population). By 2050, projections indicate the population over 65 will comprise 20.9% of the population. We are likely to see a huge increase in the demand for home health care products by the year of 2050.
One of the benefits of the growing demand of senior services is that there are more options for seniors to choose from. Many years ago, seniors could only decide between staying at home, fending for themselves or moving to a nursing home, where they hoped to get the needed assistance that they required. Today however, there are multiple options available for assistance. If a senior is unhappy with the services of one company, they can easily choose another. Getting help at home is a newer option and the options will only continue to expand.
Seniors require more care and medical assistance as they age. In the past, this meant that they would have to move to a nursing home setting for that care. Today, they have many home health care products and types of facilities to choose from. The options are endless and they have a variety of companies to choose from. The world is beginning to cater more for seniors and their growing needs.