Ageing brings its challenges, and many people tend to rely increasingly on friends and family for support, particularly if they live alone.  

When it comes to couples, it is sometimes easy to forget that while they gain strength and support from one another, they may also start to find aspects of their daily lives difficult. 

For most couples, remaining together is what matters most and they will strive to maintain this for as long as possible. If your parents want to stay together, but need additional support, what are their options? 

Living in their own home 

For many, this arrangement can work very well. 

What are the advantages of staying at home for older couples? 

  • Your parents are likely to be happier in the familiar surroundings of their own home 
  • Care services can be brought in daily to assist in personal care or home management 
  • Mental health and well-being are boosted 
  • Your parents’ pets can remain with them 
  • Costs are kept low 

What are the disadvantages of staying at home for older couples? 

  • Increasing levels of care fall to their partner 
  • With chronic conditions such as dementia or Parkinson’s, the care requirements will increase as the illness progresses and mobility reduces 
  • 24-hour care is exhausting and can take its toll on the caring partner 
  • The balance of your parents’ relationship may well shift from partners to that of patient and carer and could create a strain 
  • Increasing levels of care may fall to you or other family members who have their own family and work commitments 
  • You can’t always be there to help – whether it is with personal care, cooking, cleaning, medicating, or in the event of an emergency 

Eventually, it might reach a point when staying at home unassisted is no longer a viable option and other possibilities need to be considered. 

Living in a care home 

Moving to residential care can provide a solution for some families. 

What are the advantages of moving to a care home for couples?  

  • Care is provided 24 hours a day, resulting in peace of mind for partners and family members 
  • More specialist care can be provided 
  • Tasks involved in household management are no longer required 

However, residential care is not always the right option for couples. 

What are the disadvantages of moving to a care home for couples? 

  • Many care homes are unable to offer a double bedroom to couples, and even if they do, they may be reluctant if your parents have different care needs 
  • Couples may be separated within the care home or, in the worst-case scenario, in different homes completely 
  • Cost! While many care homes will provide some form of saving for couples using their facilities, it is still likely to be a substantial monthly outlay and their family home may need to be sold to pay for their care 
  • Upheaval and unfamiliar surroundings 
  • Pets generally cannot accompany their owners to a care home 
  • Loss of privacy and choice 

Living at home with a live-in carer 

However, there is a viable alternative to moving into residential care and the cost and upheaval this entails, and that is the personalised care provided by a live-in carer.  

What are the advantages of remaining at home with live-in care? 

  • Couples stay together in their own, familiar surroundings 
  • Mental health and well-being are boosted 
  • Their pets can stay with them 
  • Around the clock, personalised care is given by a trusted member of the household 
  • A live-in carer can provide companionship and friendship  
  • Privacy, dignity and discretion are maintained 
  • A live-in carer can help make appointments and accompany couples on trips 
  • A live-in carer provides help with the smooth running of the household 
  • Couples can continue to make choices about how they lead their lives 
  • Peace of mind for family members that their loved ones are receiving around the clock care 
  • The costs remain cheaper than those necessitated by a couple moving to residential care 

At Assist Care Group, we pride ourselves on matching your loved ones with a carer who will not only meet their particular care needs, but who will become a trusted member of their household, providing discreet, respectful care so that your parents can continue to enjoy living at home together.  

Contact us to discuss your family’s care requirements and, in consultation with yourself and your parents, we will tailor a 24-hour care package to suit your parents’ needs and provide you with the reassurance that they are receiving the best possible care in their own home.