Having arrived at the point in your life where you feel you are not coping well on your own at home but have a fear of letting strangers into your home for home care or are worried about permanently moving into a Respite Care consider the question properly before making a decision.

Deciding which steps to take when choosing Respite Care   options for family members, spouses or even yourself can be tough, particularly when making the big decision. Consultation with family members can help but often they know nothing about the help that is available. Below are presented some of the points to consider when making the big decision.

Advantages of Home Care

Home care can be very beneficial for individuals as it allows them to remain at home, and maintain some independence. A flexible care plan can be provided which is tailored to an individual's needs. This allows individual's the opportunity to continue doing things that they enjoy. For example if an individual enjoys walking, then it is possible for it to be arranged within an individual's plan, or care workers can be used for support to allow them to continue these activities.

Hospital admission can be prevented and readmission rates reduced, this is because individuals are getting the support that they need within their homes, and injuries that result from falls can be prevented within the home as home help prevents them doing activities that may cause harm.

Infection risk can also be reduced, because an individual isn't in an environment where ill people are present, which means that the likelihood of becoming ill themselves is reduced.

Home care also provides support for family members, as the strain of caring for a relative is reduced.

The familiar surroundings of your own home are maintained and possibly protected for family members.

Advantages of Care Homes

It provides individuals with an opportunity for social interaction, as activities are often arranged for them to participate in if they wish. This is beneficial as it prevents loneliness.

Care Homes also provide 24 hour care for individuals, which means that they are more likely to get all the relevant support they need.

Individual's moving into Care Homes can also reduce the strain on a family, as they will no longer have to provide care for their relatives, which means that they can be there simply for support.

Depending on the type of care that a person requires it may be more beneficial for an individual to receive care within a Care Home environment because it may reduce the costs for them slightly if they require a lot of support, they usually Home Care is more tailored and cheaper.

However there are a few disadvantages to both Home Care and Care Homes, and these include: A large financial impact, having to deal with an unusual situation and quality of care can sometimes be an issue. The disadvantages of Care Homes in particular can be: a fear of Care Homes, a lack of freedom and choice, and having to deal with other residents as they may not get on with them.

Both care options have advantages and disadvantages, and this can make the big decision very difficult. Home Care is a particularly popular choice for individual's care at present, and this is largely because of the flexibility and independence that it offers. This makes Home Care generally seem more appealing to individuals, as it allows individuals to feel more comfortable and relaxed with the care that they are receiving. However the decision of which type of care an individual should receive should be made on the basis of their situation, so that they can find an option that is best suited to what they require.