Do you know the differences between low care and high care aged care? Knowing the difference between the two will help you in easily determining which aged care facility is best for you or for your loved ones.
To help you, this post will clearly explain the main differences between the two. After finishing this article, it would be very easy for you to determine which between low care and high care aged care is perfect for you or your loved ones.
Aged Care
Aging people have numerous concerns. Apart from being easily predisposed to sickness, they also have a tough time living at home because as years go by, they will begin to need companions and caregivers to survive.
Australia is a leading country that provides numerous options for aged care for its citizens. It even offers a system of aged care that allows old people to live comfortably on their own while provided with all the necessary help and assistance for daily living.
There are numerous centers that provide aged care and they vary when it comes to the different levels of care that they can provide. Aged care centers like Homestyle Aged Care, can offer either or both “low care” and “high care” facilities.
Low Care
Low care is a simpler level of care for old aged people. Low care is provided to old people who can still walk around on their own and just have a hard time when it comes to doing some daily tasks and activities like dressing, showering, eating, and taking medication.
Low care is provided for people who can still do daily chores but just need help and extra support for some activities. People that need low care aged care are still and can still be independent. So, if you come across a center that provides low care, such centre will provide meals, accommodation, and little assistance from nurses when it comes to daily activities, but individuals will still get to be fully independent and on their own.
High Care
On the other hand, high care is fit for aging people that can no longer look after themselves. High care individuals are often frail and very sick that they no longer have enough energy to do even the simplest daily chores. When a person is in a high care facility, support for feeding, dressing, bathing, and even toilet activities are provided.
People in high care facilities are also highly dependent on qualified nurses when it comes to taking their medication. The term ‘high care’ was even derived from the term ‘high dependency’ that high care facilities would use in describing patients that need total support in all activities. High care facilities used to be synonymous with nursing homes.
If a person is under high care aged care, 24-hour supervision and support are provided. As they can no longer move freely and do their tasks easily, nurses help them every step of the way. Aging people suffering from dementia and behavioral problem are often placed in high-care facilities.
Main Differences Between High Care and Low Care Aged Care
There are three main differences that you need to take note of when it comes to Low Care and High Care aged care and they are as follows:
1. Nurse Care
When it comes to low care facilities, nurses only provide occasional assistance and support. With high care aged care, old aged individuals are provided with 24-hour nursing care. Nurses and caregivers do everything for individuals in high care facilities, from feeding to dressing to toilet needs, all are taken care of.
2. Kinds of People Served
Old aged people that can still move freely and independently are compatible with low care centers that provide minimal assistance and support to individuals. Aging people that can still take care of themselves and do simple daily chores only need low care aged care. Aging people with dementia, behavior problems, sickly, and frail are compatible with high care facilities. High care facilities care for aging people that can no longer move freely and take care of themselves. People that can no longer do daily chores to survive and thrive need to be under the care of centres that offer high care facilities.
3. Level of Independence
Low care facilities give aging people more independence in their daily activities. People in low care facilities are still free to do chores and tasks with minimal help from nurses and caregivers. High care facilities do not give much independence to aging people under their care as nurses and caregivers give 24/7 care and supervision to everyone.