do elderly people prefer to live at home or live in a nursing home?

where do elderly people prefer to live

Indian society traditionally was a very close-knit joint family where 2 to 3 generations of people could easily be found living happily together under the same roof. The benefit of this system was that the care for the seniors of the family was undertaken jointly by the children of the house.

Now that the younger generations are migrating towards different metropolitan cities, quite often than not the parents are being left behind. This new modern phenomenon has posed a new challenge for society, that is the care of the elderlies. With many young professionals living away from their parents, there is no one left behind to care for the elderly.

Although quality elderly care services are now more easily found across India than it was few years back. The bigger question remains about the happiness of the elderly since we all know mental health affects physical health and vice versa. So, do our elderlies prefer living at home or assisted living facility/elderly home?

what do the elderly prefer?

When it comes to choosing a retirement place, a large majority of elderly Indian parents prefer to stay at home and have happy ageing in place of their familiarity, surrounded by their children and grandchildren. This arrangement not only ensures the seniors the kind of care and affection they require but also afford them the independence they want.

However, with the changing dynamics of the society, living together with the entire family has become quite distant for a large section of the society, owing to kids living away in a different city or country. The elderly today are now faced with the challenge of either moving to a new place to be with their kids or stay behind and spend their retirement days alone at home.  

why do the elderly prefer to stay in their home?

Every individual is different and has their reason for not moving to their kid’s place or an assisted living facility. However, the following five reasons are the more common reasons cited by old people behind choosing to stay at their home.

• The stress of moving – Moving to a new place is a big physical challenge, where the elderly has to sort through years of possessions and keepsakes, making the entire process not only physically challenging but also emotionally stressful.
• Fear of losing Independence – There is an inner fear regarding the loss of independence in a new place and society, which causes the elderly to refrain from moving to a new place – either to be with their kids or to an assisted living facility.
• Anxiety about leaving their community – The fear of losing old friendships and community and changing their decades-old routine is quite real and often a major factor behind old people opting to stay back home and live amongst a familiar community.
• Emotional ties – We Indians do not see our homes as merely a house but is rather a home where years of memories and emotions are attached to every corner of the house. As such our seniors prefer to stay in their homes surrounded by all the bittersweet memories than settling in a new environment.
• Fear of Unknown – This is probably one of the most crucial reasons why the elderly prefer to stay back in their home. The worry of how well they would be able to adjust to the new environment, will it be worth the physical and emotional stress often restrains the elderly from shifting.

at-home elderly care

With the availability of quality at-home elderly care services in India, the youth can now breathe a sigh of relief regarding the care of their senior parents, without physically moving them from their beloved home. At-home elderly care services are provided by trained home attendants and nurses and include various support services ranging minimal support services to intensive medical care.

The beauty of these at-home elderly care services is that they are designed to promote the independence of the elderly. These services vary from person to person depending upon the kind of care needed. You can opt for support services like medication management, personal care and if their condition demands intensive support services you can opt for pain management, diabetes care, COPD, etc.All things considered, it all comes down to the happiness of the elderly and the type of care needed. So, if your loved one has seemingly no major health issues and can get by with minimal old people care services, then there is no harm in letting them stay at home and enjoy their retired life happily and peacefully.