Most aging Americans choose to stay at home rather move into a nursing home

Most aging Americans choose to stay at home rather move into a nursing home. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, less than 5 percent of those aged 65 and older reside in nursing homes. Some may live in assisted-living facilities or in hospice, but the majority age at home, with spouses or relatives — or alone. In fact, according to numbers released in 2007 by the Administration on Aging, approximately 19 percent of men 65 and older and 38.6 percent of women of that age live alone in their homes. Caregivers across the country help aging adults remain in their homes. In the past 12 months, an estimated 65.7 million people in the United States served as unpaid family caregivers to an adult or child, according to a 2009 report by the National Alliance for Care giving and the AARP. Thirty-six percent cared for a parent, providing an average 20.4 hours of care per week.
To better handle the realities of aging, it is best to prepare before an emergency forces rash decisions. The older adult should share — and put in writing — his or her wishes in regard to aging, including desires regarding care facilities, finances and in-home help.
There are options available for the aging, but they may not be cheap.
A nursing home is a licensed facility that provides care to those who are chronically ill or unable to take care of daily living needs. An assisted-living facility offers assistance with daily activities like laundry, cleaning and meals, and may provide less-intensive medical care. Assisted-living facilities may be a group of small homes or large apartment-style complexes, and typically allow people to remain relatively independent. Aging in either place can be more costly than living at home, particularly when the senior is in fairly good health and requires little to no home assistance.
In general, yearly expenses in a nursing home range from $55,000 to $70,000, according to a 2009 Genworth Financial Cost of Care Survey. With the average stay in a nursing home lasting 2.8 years, according to Genworth, a person requiring care today could need more than $200,000 for a private nursing home room.
Assisted living can cost about $30,000 a year, Genworth's survey shows. Add an entrance fee, which is common for assisted-living communities, and that number can climb.
Living at home, however, can cost as little as $10,000 a year assuming the residence is paid off. Though there are still expenses to consider, including accessibility improvements and in-home care, it can be a more financially attractive option. No matter what a person wants, however, statistics show that at least 70 percent of people over age 65 will require some long-term care services, according to a September 2008 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and more than 40 percent will need care in a nursing home. As the U.S. population ages, conversations regarding care become more relevant. The first baby boomers are set to turn 65 in 2011, and by 2030 people 65 and older are expected to be 20 percent of the population — up from 12.4 percent in 2000, according to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau.
An aging population will place greater demands on the health-care system, and that makes health-care financing a sensitive issue now.
There is a break point in aging where you really have to have someone out there looking out for you and making sure your medical needs are taken care of, each year in the United States, one out of every three people older than 65 falls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice said.
Safety is just one concern for those who age at home. There are fewer health and support services immediately available. Mobility can be challenging. Poor nutritional habits can develop. And there is a risk of isolation if an older adult is not active with neighbors or other groups.
Home health care services by a licensed home health agency like Paloma Home Health Agency can step in the gap and ensure that the situation at home does not get out of hand.
Please call us today at 972-346-2013 if you have any questions, or our website at www.palomahomehealth.com/  for more information about how your loved one can be assisted. Paloma Home Health Agency is a Certified home health care provider in North Texas Area including Dallas, Denton, Fort worth,Plano, Frisco, Richardson, Little Elm, Pilot point and the entire DFW Metroplex. Please visit www.palomahomehealth.com/  for more information or call us at 9723462013 for more details.