Trend toward staying at home for longer
GIVEN added choice about how to spend their twilight years, more people are opting to remain in their own homes instead of moving into an aged care facility.
Dubbo Area Nursing Service (DANS) helps elderly people to live their best life at home. Director Jacqui Martel says that more people are choosing that option all the time.
“The wave is certainly changing,” she said.
“In the past, it was accepted that people would go to a retirement hostel or nursing facility. Now, people are looking at their options. We have definitely noticed a change.”
DANS started as a provider for veterans’ services but now offers private services as well. Describing the shift towards at-home care, Jacqui said it has become a lifelong decision.
“Not only do they want to live at home, they want to stay at home for life which means they also want to die at home,” she explained. “We have nursed people in palliative care. There is also a community palliative team based at Lourdes.”
The advantage of staying at home for longer is that it enables people to continue to be in familiar surroundings and enjoy all the creature comforts of their own place, including the local neighbourhood.
“You are still living the life you want to live, including the time you have guests and prepare food. And you are still part of the wider community.”
Jacqui says that even when people experience the memory loss associated with conditions such as dementia, it’s still important to be where they feel most comfortable.
“Having that familiarity and people you love still living with you is good.”
That’s not to say that people can’t choose to go into a communal living arrangement.
“It’s really an individual choice and based on individual circumstances,” Jacqui explained.
Regardless of current circumstances, Jacqui believes that it’s important to plan for old age.
“Having a care plan or a service plan, it’s really individual, but it’s a good idea to start thinking about it.”
There’s also different levels of care, they decide the level of care they want in the home then it depends on the level of care needed. It’s very individual. We offer low, medium and high level care. We like to make sure everyone gets their individual needs met - RFBI Home Care Coordinator Natalie Mcharg
The types of self-care are many and varied, ranging from personal live-in care to basic assistance with shopping and cleaning around the home.
The Royal Freemasons Benevolent Institution (RFBI) has recently built a nursing home in Dubbo, but has offered at-home care to clients for many years.
RFBI Home Care Coordinator Natalie Mcharg said their Care at Home service offers assistance with showering and dressing, meal preparation and housework, shopping, pet care, gardening, using technology, along with transport to appointments, personal and clinical care.
There are also options for respite and overnight care, with each care package tailored to the needs of the client.
Like Jacqui, Natalie has observed the trend towards elderly people remaining at home for as long as they can.
“I think that people want to stay in their own home and they don’t want to go into a facility where possible,” she said.
“There’s also different levels of care, they decide the level of care they want in the home then it depends on the level of care needed. It’s very individual. We offer low, medium and high level care. We like to make sure everyone gets their individual needs met.”
Natalie believes that staying at home for longer offers the person more independence for longer.
“It allows them to stay independent and not have to move out of the family home with its important surroundings,” she said.
“We can also ensure support and wellbeing and work with them to allow them to live in comfort and safety in their own home.
“It also allows them to maintain friendships in their neighbourhood. They also tend to form relationships with their carer who might be the only person they see that day. Consistency is important to the family as well.”
Other than desire to remain in their own home, decision-making may be influenced by the number of placements available in care facilities.
“There’s a 95 per cent occupancy in residential care in Australia at the moment,” Natalie pointed out.
“There’s definitely a need for care, so if we have more care at home, it’s a solution.”
Natalie said the RFBI has increased its home care service in recent years to keep up with demand.
“It’s all in line with an ageing population, growth in this area and the limited residential care available,” she explained.
And Natalie say it’s never too early to request some assistance, even if it’s just to discuss an arrangement for the future.