Assisted Living Facility vs. FCP Live-In Caregiver Services: Side-By-Side Comparison

Side-By-Side Comparison: Why FCP Live-In Is Better Than An Assisted Living Facility

At FCP Live-In, we provide comprehensive, in-home caregiving services so that older adults can stay in familiar surroundings. Our highly skilled caregivers are certified and trained to perform the same services as the staff at an assisted living facility would provide. We offer more one-on-one care by design to meet the needs of you or your loved one.

It’s disheartening to think of you or your loved one moving into an assisted living facility. Family members may support the move when caregiving responsibilities become too much for them to handle. Before you make the final decision, contact FCP Live-In today to find out how to receive affordable, caregiving services for you or your loved one, in the comfort and safety of your own home.

In-Home Care vs. Assisted Living

Moving into an assisted living facility can be one of the most stressful and difficult experiences for seniors who have lived in one place for many years. This drastic change could potentially worsen their health condition. In addition, living with strangers and following a prescribed routine may impact a senior’s emotional well-being and mental health.

With FCP Live-In’s help, seniors stay in the familiar surroundings of their home and continue to interact with their loved ones and friends with very little change in their lives. Families also benefit as they can relax and enjoy their time with a loved one, at all times, knowing an FCP live-in caregiver is taking care of the necessities. Clearly, FCP Live-In clients have several caregiving advantages over residents in assisted living facilities.

No Moving, No Stress

With an FCP Live-In caregiver, there is no uprooting and moving to an unknown location. What’s more, there are:

• No disruptive changes
• No undue stress
• No worries about possible uncomfortable behaviors from other residents or staff members.

An FCP Live-In caregiver is present at all times to help and support with as little interruption as possible in a senior’s life. Plus, we match caregivers with those in which they are most suitable using our “Multi-Step Matching System.” Therefore, there is an instant rapport between the person being cared for and the caregiver.

Our caregivers help seniors maintain their personal, daily routines and assist in those routines, while assisted living residents must follow the facility’s routines. Besides that, an FCP Live-In caregiver provides personalized nutritious home-cooked meals that the seniors like and can eat at the times they choose. With in-home care, you or your loved one can use medical providers who you are comfortable with and who know your health history, while an assisted living facility assigns a medical provider to its residents. In addition, in-home caregivers can provide transportation so seniors can leave the house whenever they want, unlike an assisted facility that schedules transportation use. Our caregivers also provide consistency so that you or your loved one develops a mutually beneficial relationship. Assisted living facilities rotate staff and may experience constant employee turnover. What’s more, our clients need not worry about our caregivers failing to show up because of bad weather. Also, with FCP Live-In, seniors get to keep their beloved pet.

1-On-1 Professionally Checked Caregiver

Assisted living residents who need help with bathing, dressing, or other types of personal care, must wait until a staff member has time to work with them. Plus, there may be additional fees for personal care services. Our caregivers focus on one client as opposed to an assisted living staff who is assigned to multiple residents and can only spend a limited amount of time with each person.

Our in-home caregivers provide one-on-one interaction and are right there when needed. Our clients do not have to wait for these services as residents do in assisted living facilities. Our caregivers are vetted by our trained staff and evaluated on an on-going basis. They continually receive training on the latest and best practices in all areas, including caring for those afflicted with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related illnesses.

In addition, with our “Multi-Step Matching System” we guarantee the match we make between the client and the caregiver. Our caregivers usually develop an instant match to those they are assigned to as caregivers. Assisted living facilities do not guarantee “Multi-Step Matching System” matches between their staff and residents.

FCP Live-In Cost Benefits

At FCP Live-In, we make our live-in caregiver services as affordable as possible. There are:

• NO upfront costs or fees.
• NO termination fees.
• NO lengthy contracts.
• NO community service fee.
• NO spouse charge.
• NO yearly cost increases.

Assisted Living facilities may add multiple fees on top of fees

Many assisted living facilities charge a basic fee for rent, meals, housekeeping, and access to activities and exercise. Some facilities also have different payment tiers in order to charge more for every additional service, such as therapy and medication disbursement. Some assisted living facilities say they are all-inclusive but may have add-on fees, which can increase your monthly bill by hundreds and even thousands of dollars. If you do not read your assisted living facility’s contract carefully, you may incur hefty additional charges. Also, once you or your loved one is placed in an assisted living facility, your options of what you can and cannot do are drastically reduced.

Assisted living facility services that may incur additional fees:

Hygiene costs

• Dressing – Fees can be split for dressing in the morning and undressing in the evening.
• Bathing – Fees may be different for full help with showering or having someone in the room while the individual showers.
• Bathroom/incontinence care – Some individuals may need help getting to and from the bathroom, sitting and standing, wiping, and changing adult diapers.
• Laundry

Medical costs

• Health screening before moving in – Some facilities include this in their overall pricing upon move-in, but others may indicate it on the bill as a separate one-time charge.
• Medication management – Depending on the needs of the resident, staff may simply remind a resident to take their daily dosage, while other facilities will store and administer medications and record medication disbursement.
• On-site pharmacy or doctor access – Does the facility have a doctor or pharmacy on site? If so, you may be charged an additional fee for the convenience, disguised as a monthly “facility fee.” However, the services the doctor renders or the price of the prescription may be covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
• Treatment for temporary wounds or illness – Some facilities will tack on an additional fee for cleaning out and monitoring wounds from a fall, or helping a resident get over a long-lasting flu.
• Blood pressure monitoring
• Blood glucose monitoring and needed injections

Mobility and other care costs

• Escort to and from the dining room or activity center
• Checking in on resident at regular intervals
• Reminders – This may include reminders to go to the bathroom every few hours or before bed, to take medication, or to get to weekly activities and therapies on time.
• Use of gym or spa, if available on premises
• Transportation to area shops, doctor’s office
• Admission/discharge – A one-time admissions fee may show up on bills under names like, “Service Initiation Fee” or “Community Service Fee.” Also, look at the fine print in the contract for discharge policies to make sure you are entitled to a refund for prepaid services that were not used.
• Extra fee to deep-clean the bathroom – Hard to believe, but although most cleaning services are part of a standard monthly charge, some facilities may add on a deep-cleaning charge from time to time.
• Telephone

Other hidden costs

These are costs that aren’t charged by the assisted living facility itself, but ones that you might incur as part of the transition to assisted living.

• Moving costs – Includes hiring a junk removal service, paying for movers, and/or the costs involved in selling a house.
• Travel expenses
• Lawyer or elder care manager fees

LINK: https://www.care.com/c/stories/15856/hidden-costs-assisted-living/

Most importantly, FCP Live-In helps to improve our clients’ quality of life while giving them a sense of dignity and respect at a time when they need it the most.

Below is a quick FCP Live-In vs. an Assisted Living Facility side-by-side comparison showing the advantages & disadvantages of both.

Financing For A Live-In Home Caregiver

Finances should not be a barrier to receiving quality in-home care. There are many options for financing a live-in home caregiver through FCP Live-In. Our knowledgeable and experienced staff can advise you on the best type of financing, answer any questions, and connect you with a specialist depending on the type of financing option you may decide on.

Our staff is here to help so you have plenty of financing options regarding your in-home caregiver needs. You or your loved one may benefit from financial options such as:

Veterans Aid and Attendance Program

If you or your loved one is a war-time veteran, the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance program contributes monthly to help pay for FCP Live-In’s type of care. The Veterans Administration’s (VA’s) monthly pension benefit is available for veterans and surviving spouses who need help with dressing, grooming, bathing, toileting, and other personal care tasks. To be eligible for the benefit, veterans must have been in the service for at least 90 days and served at least one day during wartime.

Home Equity Loan

If the one in need of a caregiver needs some time to extend funding until the Veterans Aid and Attendance Program comes through a home equity line of credit that bridges finances might be an optimum choice.

Reverse Mortgage

One other option to consider when looking to ensure that you or your loved one remains in the security and comfort of home is a reverse mortgage. A Reverse Mortgage Specialist can help.

Life Care Funding

Another option is Life Care Funding, in which life insurance, if in excess of $50,000.00, can be converted into a long-term care policy.

FCP Live-In has in-depth experience with all of these options and can help with any questions or connect you with a specialist.

About FCP Live-In, A Leading Live-In Home Care Provider

FCP Live-In, a leading live-in home caregiver services agency, has provided the ultimate solution for live-in home care services since 1997.

We are committed to providing a unique and customized live-in home care approach to senior care with the goal of a lifestyle that provides enjoyment for seniors in need of care, and their families with peace of mind.

FCP Live-In is a live-in home care company with over two decades of experience specializing in elderly care needs within the home. Our live-in caregiver staff provides an insurance policy of safe and supportive care, along with a 24-hour professional support system that is there for the client and the live-in caregiver at all times.

For more information about our live-in home care services, contact FCP Live-In today at www.fcplivein.com or 1 (866) 559-9492.