Surprising Benefits of Caring for Aging Family Members at Home

Despite the surface appearance of hardship, there are a number of advantages to caring for aging family members at home.  The emotional, spiritual, and financial benefits to caring for an elder in the home may not be obvious but they are significant and satisfying for familial health in the long run.  Moreover, there are other families making similar decisions:  one out of every four caregivers lives with the elderly or disabled relative being cared for. 

One factor to consider is whether your employer is able to assist you with healthcare costs.  Healthline explains how they may be in more of a position to help if they provide a senior care benefit from a provider like Care.com.  This kind of benefit can help companies provide employees with assistance such as vetting care facilities and caregiver counseling.  As another example, Bright Horizons provides ‘back-up services,’ which cover vetted help in the event of an emergency.  Despite the demand for such benefits, however, they remain relatively rare, so ask your employer to look into possible providers if they don’t yet offer elder care benefits.

A model that inspires admiration is that of Mediterranean and Latin cultures, which assign much of the childcare responsibility to elders, allowing aging family members an integrated role in the running of the household.  In this way, every member of family feels important and needed, and every person plays a part that contributes to the whole. This kind of integration also increases intergenerational empathy and understanding, helping to form well-rounded, socially aware individuals in children who have the opportunity to live with their elders. 

Rosemary Ziemba of the University of Michigan found that caring for aging parents and elders in the home has numerous benefits for family health: “the collective emotional and physical health of a family.”  Some of these benefits include the protection of the well-being of the care recipient, the satisfaction of knowing a parent is well cared for, fulfilling family obligations, and repaying parents.  There’s also the additional benefit of an improved, higher quality relationship between caregiver and care recipient. 

According to the Population Reference Bureau, those who become caregivers tend to live longer and have lower mortality rates than similar non-caregivers.  Although experiences inevitably vary, this finding is hopeful for those interested in assuming responsibility for their loved ones at home.  Of course, the benefits may not be immediately apparent, but they could manifest in a more spiritual form.  Shambhala Times points out ways in which caregiving is a spiritual discipline: it is an opportunity to practice being in the moment, relaxing into the process and attempting to feel boundless compassion.  Though that last bit may be easier said than done, it’s a process rather than a goal easily accomplished on day one—hence the aspect of spiritual discipline.

Of course, no single individual or immediate family can do it alone at all times; for support, turn to social work professionals trained in working with elderly clients.  They will be able to assist you in determining whether you qualify for in-home medical assistance or interim counseling for caregivers or homebound patients navigating complicated family dynamics.  When it comes to multiple generations of family living together, however, the American Psychological Association reports that by modeling caregiving, caregivers’ children will be more likely to care for their parents, if necessary—a kind of familial investment, if you will.

The cost savings of taking care of a parent at home are substantial, as nursing home stays cost upward of $200 a day or 80K a year, depending on the state.  Also, depending on your family’s situation, you may be able to qualify for Medicare or Medicaid assistance; do note, however, that available funds vary by state.  The cost savings also extend to the number of health care providers available to help treat the older citizens among us: according to U.S. News & World Report, few medical students are choosing geriatrics as a specialty.  As a result, patients’ families and healthcare professionals will need to work together to provide the best possible care for the elders among them. 

Another advantage of living with aging family members is a deeper knowledge of those people as whole, complex individuals.  The more time we spend with them, the more easily it will be for us to identify when something seems off, health-wise, increasing the probability that they will receive proper treatment in a timely manner.  In contrast, nursing home staff members are often overworked and spread thin, leaving less time and energy to focus on individual patients.  They may be more prone to missing signs of illness, on a subtle level. 

Lastly, one of the most important factors in long-term health is optimism and a happy outlook, so try to encourage your elderly family members to participate in activities they personally love, as well as modeling a healthy attitude yourself.  Who knows, you may find yourself actually feeling happier, after modeling a good attitude yourself.  Similar to the way that laughter has been shown to help alleviate pain symptoms in hospice patients, a cheery, joyful attitude can make a tangible difference in anyone’s life—regardless of whether we are patients or caregivers.

*  *  *

Taking care of an older family member is not a light decision to make, but the positive aspects can outweigh many potential negatives.  What, in your opinion, is one benefit of taking an aging relative into your home?  Share your thoughts or experience in the comments section, below!