Models of Elder Care

Taking care of aging individuals does not necessarily have to take place in a nursing home setting. There are different models of elder care that an elderly patient can choose from. Each form of elder care can be customized to match the level of care that the individual needs and the lifestyle that the individual prefers.

Long-Term Nursing Home Care

• Long-term nursing home care takes place when the patient needs acute medical treatment for long periods of time, or when the patient can no longer care for himself and there is no one at home to care for him. Long-term facilities have hospital-like settings and a nursing staff is on duty at all times. There are both private and semi-private rooms available for the long-term-care patient.

Short-Term Nursing Home Care

• Short-term nursing home care takes place when someone is recovering from an illness or a broken bone. Elderly patients who attend short-term-care facilities usually go to physical therapy and receive medical supervision until they have recovered enough to live alone.

Residential Group Homes for Elderly

• Residential group homes have several elderly patients living in a home-like environment with a staff that is in the home 24 hours a day. The staff provides medical and personal support and assists the elderly patients in their daily activities. This setting is an attempt to create a more home-like and community-inclusive setting for the elderly patient, and gives greater access to community activities and interactions.

Assisted Living in Senior Apartments

• Senior apartments are buildings where elderly people live. These communities are usually made up of independent elderly adults who want to live somewhere that has handicapped accessible equipment to help in their daily lives. Nursing assistants and caregivers can help the elderly adults on an as-needed basis. This allows the elderly person to live as independently as possible without having to live in a nursing facility.

Senior Home Care

• Elderly individuals who opt to live in their own home often have nursing aides, caregivers and other assistants who come into the home to help them as needed. This option allows an individual to maintain her home, continue to interact with neighbors and friends in the community and live within her home environment. Nurses, doctors and social workers all work together to help support the individual as she lives her life in her home setting.