Yes, to answer the question simply, there is a difference between short-term senior care and long-term care. Understanding the difference may not be all that important to some, but when you’re trying to determine what would be best for your elderly loved one, the right senior care service will make all the difference in the world.

The primary focus of short-term senior care.

Short-term senior care service usually lasts a few weeks, but it can extend to several months. It is usually ideal for those who are recovering from an illness, accident, or even major surgery. It is considered a temporary solution.

It is temporary because the patient is expected to recover fully, or to the degree that they will once again be able to care for themselves in a healthy and safe manner at home.

The type of care that the senior receives with regard to short-term services will vary and will be consistent with some of the things that a long-term patient would receive.

When you have a loved one who will rely on this level of senior care service for a few weeks or what you see as a limited amount of time, then you’re considering short-term care. It could involve several caregivers or just one, depending on the agency, if you choose one, or the needs of the patient.

The primary focus of long-term senior care.

One the other hand, if the senior requires ongoing care at home and there is no expected end date of that level of care, then this will be considered long-term care. This could involve a live in caregiver, medical care at home that will be necessary for an indefinite period of time, and even family members.

Often, when family members take on this role of being a long-term caregiver to their elderly loved one, they don’t have much experience. They usually learn as they go and this can pose a number of problems, not only for them, but also for the patient.

When you know that your elderly loved one, or a friend of yours, or someone you know, will require some form of senior care, it will help you with the search to determine whether it will be short or long-term. The more that you know about the long-term prospects for the senior’s health, the easier it will be for an agency or experienced caregiver to determine what care would be ideally suited for the elderly patient.

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Donna Wrabel, LMSW

Co-Owner at At Your Side Home Care

For most of us, the word "home" evokes warm feelings of comfort, security and well-being. For older adults, home also means holding tight to cherished memories and maintaining self-esteem and independence. When illness, injury or age make life a little more challenging, remaining at home in a comfortable, familiar environment encourages recovery and enhances the quality of life. Home can be defined as a private residence, an independent or assisted living facility or even a short term stay in the hospital, we recognize the additional benefits provided by a personal, professional assistant.

Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.

Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week

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