The Spires

The Benefits of a CCRC: How Does Home Care Compare?

As we and our loved ones all age, there will likely come a time when a decision needs to be made about the best option for continuing care. When looking at senior living communities, and all the different options — like assisted living, memory care, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), and more — it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all that’s available. The world of continuing care communities is large, and sometimes it may feel like the easiest option is simply to continue living in the place you and your loved ones already call home. However, aging in place has the potential to be more difficult, and more expensive, than it seems. By taking the steps to identify the right time to explore senior living communities like The Spires at Berry College, this transition into life’s next chapter can ultimately be exactly the right choice for everyone involved.

Reasons for Change

Everybody has a different reason for exploring their options among continuing care communities. Maybe it’s just time to downsize and move into a place where the future feels secured. Or, an extra hand might be needed in order to complete some everyday tasks, which no longer makes living alone feasible. If more serious assistance is required, skilled nursing or memory care may be the best choice. To help you find your reason, here are some things to consider when exploring senior living communities:

1. Caregiver Burnout

Providing care for someone is hard work — physically, mentally and emotionally. The responsibility of caring for an older loved one comes with a wide range of unique challenges that, over time, can leave caregivers feeling overwhelmed, especially as health declines in our senior years. Long hours, endless work to do, little time for anything more than caregiving—all of it can take a toll on friends and family members during the best of times. In the era of Covid-19, providing care for seniors has become even more challenging. The stress and pressures of caregiving during a pandemic, where the potential for infection is especially high for seniors, can understandably cause burnout and create both the need and desire for the kinds of specialized care that are best provided by senior living communities.

2. Home Care Services

At first glance, the cost of senior living communities can be enough to deter you or your loved one from considering them as a viable option. If that’s what has held you or your loved ones back so far, compare the costs of home care using our retirement calculator. While the ability to receive professional care in the comforts of home is an understandably appealing prospect, it also has the potential to place seniors at risk of theft, fraud, neglect and other situations harmful to their health. As healthcare needs increase, they’ll likely need more specialized care, which could mean hiring several different home care specialists. Not only does this add more stress of trying to find experienced, trustworthy professionals, but in a pandemic there’s also a greater need to limit the exposure seniors have to people coming in and out of the house.

3. Isolation

Social interaction is vital to our mental and emotional wellbeing, especially when it comes to seniors. All too often, our older loved ones spend the majority of their time at home, limiting their ability to socialize with friends. An unfortunate side effect from a lack of socialization is depression caused by isolation. Not only does this add to the stress of both seniors and their caregivers, but it can also ramp up cognitive decline, leading to memory loss and even Alzheimer’s and dementia. In a community like Magnolia Place at The Spires, residents enjoy the regular mental stimulation they need, while feeling safe in our comfortably appointed Memory Care neighborhood.

4. Food

Maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet is key to overall wellness. Living at home, it can be easy for you or your loved ones to simply rely on familiar, easy-to-prepare meals, even if they’re not necessarily the healthiest options. Continuing care retirement communities like Magnolia Place at The Spires make it easy to eat right by offering residents high quality, nutritious meals on a regular schedule. If getting to and from the dining venues is an issue for you or your loved one, the food can be provided directly to them in their own residence.

5. Peace of Mind

When it comes to deciding whether or not it’s time to start thinking about life in a CCRC, few things are as valuable as the peace of mind you and your loved ones will find in a community like Magnolia Place at The Spires. Here, all advanced levels of care — Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, and Memory Care — along with opportunities for socialization, fresh, healthy meals and a compassionate, experienced staff you can trust are all under one roof. Residents not only enjoy access to care as it becomes needed, but they get it from familiar faces in an environment that feels like home. This type of transition is a huge choice, so it’s imperative that all options are weighed and that everyone involved feels confident about the final decision. If you feel that you or your loved one is ready to explore senior living, contact Magnolia Place at The Spires by calling 706-368-9955, or schedule an appointment to visit our main campus in Rome, GA.