3 Innovative Ways You Can Reduce the Cost of Aged Care

According to the National Caregiving Alliance, around 43.5 million people provided unpaid care for a family member during 2015. While some provided child care, a total of 34.2 million of those people provided care for an adult over the age of fifty.

Being a caregiver can be a rewarding experience, but it comes with a set of unique challenges. Besides caregiver burnout, one of the most common problems faced is financial strains or stress.

Providing care for any person can cost a small fortune. It can be even more expensive caring for a senior due to many reasons. Healthcare costs, in particular, can be very costly.

Reducing aged care costs can help reduce stress and ensure your loved one is still receiving the care they need. Continue reading to learn three innovative ways you can reduce cost without sacrificing the quality of care.

1. Use Technology for Monitoring

While technology doesn’t replace in-person care completely, it can help reduce the number of hours a caregiver is needed. Security camera monitoring systems and medical alert systems can be combined to effectively keep seniors safe for short periods. This is an especially great aged care option for seniors who are still at least moderately mobile.

Although this article doesn’t go in-depth on the subject, technology has many applications in aged care. Even using reminder systems, through the phone or an outside source, can help seniors remember when to take medication, among other essential things.

2. Take Advantage of Low-Cost Respite Care

If you’re a family caregiver, you should look into respite care programs offered by the state or non-profit organizations. These programs provide low-cost or even free respite care services for those who qualify.

Qualifications vary from one organization to the next. But, if you qualify for only a few hours each week, it can still amount to a lot of cost-savings overtime.

Let’s say your in-home caregiver costs an average of $20 an hour, and you need a total of 60 hours of care each week. Qualifying for just ten hours of weekly respite care can save $200 every week. Over a single calendar year, this adds up to $10,400 in savings.

3. Sign up for Low-Cost Senior Meal Services

Providing elderly family members with healthy meals can end up costing quite a bit. Besides total costs, caregivers also have to consider the physical labor costs and the time spent shopping.

Non-profit or state organizations, like Meals on Wheels, can help alleviate some of these costs and hours for those who qualify. Meals on Wheels, for example, provides free or low-cost meals tailored to senior diets. They even deliver the meals, if necessary, which saves a lot of time.

Do You Have More Questions About Reducing Costs of Aged Care?

It can be expensive to provide care for aging relatives. Still, there are a few innovative ways you can help reduce the costs. The three listed here are not all-inclusive, and more options for saving exist.

Do you have more questions about reducing costs of aged care?

Feel free to browse our other posts. You’ll find many blogs on related topics that can help you dive further into the subject.