Talking about different types of care in the abstract, however, doesn’t make it any easier to figure out whether you should age in place or enter one of the various types of facilities that offer care. That’s because every person’s situation is unique, and every person has unique needs and motives as they choose the type of care they want.

Where home care can really shine is within value-based care arrangements. Finding out someone has hypertension early can lead to medication that reduces the likelihood of heart failure, and paying for an in-home checkup is well worth the expense for the overall savings it can confer to whoever has payment responsibility.

Many older Americans choose to move into some form of senior housing. But each year more and more choose to stay in their homes. It’s not a black-and-white choice, and whatever arrangement you choose, home care can dramatically expand your options.

Holidays bring families together to celebrate the season and enjoy sharing time together.  They also offer opportunities for us to spend lengthier periods of time with aging parents and loved ones — sometimes long enough to observe changes in habits or lifestyle that give rise to concerns about their health or well-being, especially when they live on their own. The changes can seem slight or innocuous:  a forgotten face, a mismatched outfit, a wrong turn on the way to the grocery store.  Or, they can be more alarming: