What could be better than being able to remain in your own home for as long as possible? Being able to remain in your own home for ever? Being able to remain in your own home and not struggle to care for yourself?

Home care services can have a huge, positive, impact on your health and well-being by allowing you to stay in the home you have carefully chosen and become familiar with. They can provide companionship and reduce the incidence of depression, as well as improving your physical health.

Mental Health Benefits

The biggest pro for having live in care services is the boost to your mental health a home help provides. Firstly, they will always be there to provide companionship and to offer a listening ear. You don’t need to feel anxious or guilty about the burden you are placing on them, as you might if your children are caring for you, as their job is to care for you.

Having a carer come and live with you can also be beneficial if you are suffering from dementia. You will not need to leave your familiar surroundings and that means even simple things, like where the bathroom is, will not need to be relearnt. Moving home can be hugely disrupting and can trigger a worsening of your dementia if not handled carefully.

You will also be able to stay with your living companions – whether they are a spouse, companion or pet. Regular visits are no substitute for continual contact when you are considering the impact on your mental health.

Physical Health Benefits

Of course there are obvious benefits in having a carer tend to your physical needs. You personal hygiene can improve if you have assistance with toileting or bathing and having someone providing meals will allow you to eat a healthier diet, which in turn will improve your physical health.

Less obvious are the benefits of not needing to move into a home or “granny annexe”. Falls are one of the biggest reasons that elderly people find themselves in hospital, and even a small fall can sap your confidence and reduce your mobility. Being familiar with your surroundings can help prevent falls but a home carer can actively help by ensuring that spills and dropped items are picked up promptly, by offering a helping hand if you want to walk in the garden, and by helping you dress in appropriate clothes that won’t hinder movement or trip you up.

You are also at a far lower risk of serious illnesses. The more people you are in contact with the more likely you are to get a cold or flu virus from them. That is true however old you are, and remaining in your own home means you can avoid many such bugs. A cold that might give a younger person a bit of a snotty nose could turn into pneumonia and even prove fatal.