Whether your senior relative has an issue with loneliness throughout the day or a medical condition that needs regular attention, the question will arise as to whether they should remain in their home or move to a community where their needs can be met more easily. 

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This can be a hard decision to make – moving away from familiar surroundings is never easy. However, a change can increase the quality of life for your older relatives and offer them the care they need to live comfortably in their later years. These facilities are also social spaces. 

Living Communities
Your senior relative might live in their home, but that doesn’t mean they have the best quality of life. If they live alone or in a community with neighbors outside their age group, they might feel lonely and isolated. It would be better if they were surrounded by people they could relate to. 

Independent living communities are specially designed communities for older people who still have agile minds and physical mobility. Communities like https://catholiccarecenter.org/long-term-senior-care/ provide independent living environments; the only difference is they are in a community with people of a similar age. 

Assisted Living
Whether it is meal deliveries, regular visits, or mobility services, an assisted living community is the halfway point between home care and care homes. These residential environments are perfect for senior relatives who still have independence but require additional assistance. 

Not only does an assisted living community provide individual services for seniors, but it also creates an environment where they can feel comfortable and connected. This is extremely important in our later years and can significantly improve the quality of life for older people.  

Care Homes 
If you have a senior relative with some mobility issues or the onset of an age-related condition, a care home can be a better option than home care. While seniors appreciate the home spaces they are familiar with. It doesn’t always provide the best quality of life in later years. 

Care homes provide safe and comfortable environments for people to live in; they also offer mental health services, medical services, and social services to ensure that seniors and happy, comfortable, and healthy. A care home can be a better option than home living in some cases.    

Home Care 
At other times, home care services are the best option because seniors are most comfortable in their home surroundings, but they need additional support services. Whether it’s health care, mobility issues, meal delivery, or social issues, professionals are arranged to visit. 

Home care services might be the most appealing option for seniors initially; they get to stay in their familiar spaces; however, this option is also the most expensive and doesn’t have the community aspect offered by living communities. Also, new environments can soon feel homely.

Temporary Care
Another halfway option is temporary care. Temporary care is usually located in a convenient and comfortable space in the community. The senior relative will have to make their way to the center, but they have access to care services and can meet up with their community once there. 

Temporary care is perfect for senior relatives with minor conditions, loneliness issues, or people who are recovering from an operation. Temporary care gives seniors a chance to leave the home and visit an outside location that caters to their care needs and social requirements.  

Hybrid Care
Hybrid care is a form of a care plan that uses a combination of care strategies to create an individual plan suited to specific seniors. For example, a senior might require some temporary care and in-home care or independent living arrangements. It is a bespoke care solution. 

Although hybrid care is the perfect solution for many families, it can be more expensive than a single solution; that said, hybrid care can be worth the expense to cater to the specific requirements of your senior relative. It might allow them to remain at home and have needs met.  

Palliative Care
If your senior relative has a serious long-term illness or a terminal illness, they might require palliative care. This care type is given to people to relieve stress and treat symptoms of the condition; palliative care can be provided in the home or in a dedicated facility or care home.  

Palliative care aims to treat symptoms and improve the quality of life for older people in later life. In most cases, palliative care is provided outside the home in a unique facility with the right staff and medical equipment. Sometimes, this is the best place for senior relatives.