These are two types of senior care facilities that have a lot in common and choosing one or the other is likely going to be very dependent on your senior’s needs and even their personality.
Essentially, the level of intimate and personal care given is very similar. However, if you want your senior to enjoy some personal freedom and have more intimate care, then find adult family homes (AFHs). Meanwhile, nursing homes provide 24-hour care, so medical staff are constantly present with the elders, but the capacity is usually much higher.
Here’s a more thorough breakdown.
Adult Family Homes
First things first, if you want to find adult family homes, do not mistake them with adult day care. Some people get the two confused, but adult day care is essentially a place where family caregivers (the adult children of the elder) can drop off their senior during their work hours and pick them up after.
Meanwhile, adult family homes are permanent living residences for seniors.
It’s not hard to find adult family homes in Washington as they’ve become the most popular senior housing option. They are literally residential homes because, unlike all other senior housing options, they are homes (in neighborhoods) that have simply been remodeled for seniors to easily access.
AFHs are licensed by the government and owned by certified nurses or specialists in gerontology. They limit the number of residents to six people, thus ensuring quality and personal elder care. As you can imagine, these are becoming more popular due to the intimate care and because it’s easier to convert a house into a senior living community than to rent or buy a lot.
On the downside, because it is a smaller community of six, if your senior doesn’t get along with a roommate, it’s going to be rough seas ahead. On the upside however, you can find adult family homes in your neighborhood and be close to your elder without needing to worry.
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes provide more intensive care than adult family homes because they are typically reserved for people struggling with a neurodegenerative disorder or physical ailment that restricts their mobility. So nursing homes usually come after adult family homes on the scale of senior care.
Nursing homes also have numerous residents, sometimes as many as a couple hundred. In previous blogs, we’ve mentioned how recent reports show that medical staff often manage 1500 medications in a single day, which is fairly scary, although don’t be alarmed. The percentage of seniors being given the wrong medication is very rare, the real challenge is giving them their medication at the right time.
Nursing homes are also secured facilities – meaning the residents cannot leave or wander off – but AFHs are in neighborhoods where seniors have more personal freedom. So, as with most comparisons, it’s a matter of what is the best type of elder care for your loved one.
If you want to find adult family homes, we’re connected to many in Washington as it’s quickly become the most popular option whereas if you want to find nursing homes, many still believe in the old myth that they’re dark, dreary and gloomy places.
