Do I Need Concierge Service, Home Care or Assisted Living?

Whether it’s you or an older adult in your family who’s needing more help with activities of daily living, there’s really no one-size-fits-all solution. Because each person’s needs are unique, it’s not a black-and-white choice between Assisted Living and In-Home Care. 

Rather, the decision comes down to what type of environment the client prefers.  

So instead of trying to compare In-Home Care versus Assisted Living, look at what each offers in terms of the setting, services offered, and level of senior care that’s needed.

What are activities of daily living?

When you’re first looking into In-Home Care and Assisted Living, it’s helpful to know what the activities of daily living, or ADLs, are. Typically this list has six specific categories-bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, continence and feeding: 

• Bathing: Can the person get into the tub or shower on their own, can they wash their body and hair sufficiently, can they brush their teeth, comb their hair and trim their nails?
• Dressing: Are they able to get clothes out of the closet or dresser drawers and get dressed, including being able to manage zippers, buttons or other fasteners, and put on and tie their own shoes? 
• Transferring: Do they need help getting into and out of bed, sitting down and standing up from a chair on their own, and walking or moving from one place to another?
• Toileting: Can they undress themselves, sit and rise from the toilet without assistance, clean themselves after using the toilet, and wash their hands?
• Continence: Can they control their bladder and bowel functions, or manage their incontinence?
• Feeding: Are they able to get food from the plate to their mouths, and then chew and swallow properly? 

Perhaps you or your loved one needs very little from this list of ADLs, and only wants a bit of help around their house or with getting meals prepared. If so, maybe Concierge Services would be the best fit.

What are Concierge Services?

Concierge Services, like those from Fellowship Senior Living, are helpful services that alleviate work around the house. They’re provided in the older adult’s home on a fee-for-service basis and include things like:

• Meal preparation
• Home chores
• Transportation
• Grocery and personal shopping
• Pet services
• Mail pickup
• House sitting

Concierge Services really are designed to make life a little easier, and don’t include more comprehensive kinds of assistance. For that, what may be needed is In-Home Care.

What is In-Home Care?

In-Home Care, also called Home Care, is ideal for people who need ongoing care that family members can’t provide but who want to stay in the comfort of their own homes while receiving assistance. Services include those on the list of ADLs. At Fellowship Senior Living, our Helping Hands Home Care services offer 24/7 support in the older adult’s home on a fee-for-service basis. Types of care include:

• Assistance with ADLs
• Light housekeeping and laundry
• Medication Periodic assessments
• Companionship
• Light meal preparation

What is Assisted Living?

Assisted Living in a community setting provides you or an older adult with help with ADLs, along with on-site staff available 24/7. At Fellowship Senior Living, each Assisted Living resident has their own spacious private suite that’s situated close to public common spaces for them to use whenever they want. 

Fellowship Senior Living’s Assisted Living follows the household model, which helps foster an engaged and homelike atmosphere. Residents of our community also have the reassurance of knowing all home maintenance is taken care of by our team members, including maintenance of the community grounds.

Our Assisted Living also offers:

• Speech, physical, occupational and massage therapies
• On-site medical center
• On-site dietitian
• High staff-to-resident ratios
• Registered nurses on-site 24 hours a day
• State-of-the-art therapy gyms and personal training

Older adults can also benefit from the social interaction and opportunities to stay engaged and connected with others that are offered at an assisted living community. Living in a community means having built-in friendships and camaraderie with fellow residents. They also have access to specialized activities, planned events, and a monthly calendar of things to participate in with others. 

How do you know what’s right for you or someone you love? Talk with Fellowship Senior Living.

Choosing the right kind of assistance for yourself or a family member is an important decision. What might be fitting today may not be enough in a few months. Our knowledgeable team members can help you understand all the differences between In-Home Care and Assisted Living, and work with you and your family members to find the right fit now and in the future.

To get started, contact us or call 908-580-3800 today.