Often you need to make the difficult decision of what is the right care for your elderly relatives.  A nursing home is not the only option for you or your loved one.  Choose carefully and make sure it is the right choice for all concerned.  How much personal or medical care is needed?  What is important for you when choosing the right care? 

Temporary relief care is good – if you can find it. It is also expensive and not often reliable. But most importantly, it is what it is: temporary relief and you need someone around the clock. Expect to pay anywhere between $20 - $30 per hour for a temporary relief worker, less for a companion.

A full-time, permanent caregiver is the cheapest option but try to find one in your area who is willing to come on a regular basis and spend the time with your parents, help with shopping, cooking, cleaning the house. For a live-out caregiver, if you find one, expect to pay $15 - $20 per hour.

A nursing home may provide a modern facility with medical support however this may mean moving away from the family home and area and leaving behind many personal belongings.  Your aging parents might refuse to go to a nursing home – they have spent their entire life in their house and want to maintain the independence and comfort as they know it. Memories are important when older and this can be upsetting for the person needing care.

 A nursing home, provided your parents accept the inevitability of such move, is expensive and not all of them are what you would want for your elderly parents. Monthly payments can be as high as $6,000. But most of all, they imply finality and the end of things as we know them. Your lives are forever altered. You don’t like it and your parents like it even less. What choice do you have?

A live in caregiver can provide the solution to an often difficult situation.  They will live within the family home not only providing the care but also companionship.  Depending on your choice of caregiver, they may have a medical background.  They can help with daily personal care as well as everyday chores in the home – cooking, cleaning and shopping.  Choosing the right Live in Caregiver will mean remaining in familiar surroundings with memories and personal effects.  This will make a difficult time much easier for all concerned.