When families start considering long-term care options for their loved ones, one of the first questions is often: “How much does it cost?” The reality, however, is more complicated. The decision between home care and assisted living is not only about money—it’s about lifestyle, independence, environment, and the type of support needed.

Why Aging in Place Matters

Over 90% of older adults say they prefer to age in place—that is, remain in the comfort of their own home instead of moving to a facility. The reasons are clear: home represents familiarity, independence, and dignity. Yet, safely aging in place requires thoughtful planning, the right kind of home care services.

Life can be tough, and growing old is no exception. As we age, lots of older adults prefer to stay right where they are — in their homes.

It's a difficult task for a lot of people. When you or a family member suddenly have a need for home care, it is hard to know where to start in choosing a private duty provider.

Aging in place is preferred by over 90% of older adults, but it's important to consider the factors that make it a good choice.

Independence is More Than a Place—It’s a Way of Life

Staying in your own home isn't just about comfort - it's about freedom. Aging in place means you can continue doing the things that bring joy and that is essential to well-being.  But independence doesn't mean doing it alone. That's where private care comes in-enhancing independent living by ensuring that older adults stay active and engaged while aging in place.

• Over 7 MILLION Americans are living with Alzheimer’s

• 1 in 3 older adults dies  with Alzheimer’s or  another dementia

• IT KILLS MORE THAN Breast Cancer + Prostate Cancer COMBINED

Many Americans are turning to technology in hopes of detecting or preventing medical conditions or diseases, like Alzheimer’s. More than just expensive, emergency room visits for senior loved ones with the disease can be confusing and traumatizing.

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.

Embracing the art of aging becomes not just a necessity but an opportunity for personal growth and fulfillment. Unlocking the benefits of creativity and mental agility emerges as a transformative pathway towards greater well-being.

A large study showed that older adults with a higher risk of dementia may be able to reduce their risk of cognitive decline by almost 50 percent by using hearing aids.

Dear Nurse Chris: After a heart attack two years ago, I took all the medicines my physician asked, but he also wanted me to commit to a long period of rehab. It seemed way too strenuous for me, and I was scared it might cause another attack so I didn’t go. I am 56 now. Was I right or wrong to skip the rehab?

Elders are at a greater risk of undue influence. Beware of warning signs and symptoms.

In normal years, the popularity of online shopping leads to an increase in cyber scams. This year, e-commerce is expected to surge even more than usual —with an accompanying increase in phishing attempts, too.

Cybersecurity experts have already identified an increase in spam emails containing common phrases like “cheap offer” and “holiday sale.”

The Internet touches almost all aspects of everyone’s daily life, whether we realize it or not. Make sure you know who's knocking at your digital door with these tips for protecting your personal information.

Think before you click!

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.

Dealing with dementia symptoms in your own parent can stretch the limits of your sanity. Sometimes you may not even notice the first symptoms of dementia -- the slow decline of your aging parent's memory.

Home modifications are an important consideration for older adults choosing to stay living in their homes in place of moving to assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

Medicare decisions are highly personal. And there may be as many different questions about Medicare as there are beneficiaries—maybe more. But certain questions seem to come up more often than others. Here are the answers.

Tips and recommendations on how to make a home much more friendly to seniors using wheelchairs or walkers.

When Dan Bawden teaches contractors and builders about aging-in-place, he has them get into a wheelchair. See what it’s like to try to do things from this perspective, he tells them.