If your loved one is starting to need a little more time and attention to ensure they are getting what they need throughout the day, you may start thinking about some of the care options that are available. A nursing home will likely be one of the first places to come to mind. However, just because your elderly family member needs a little help, it will not mean that they are ready for a nursing home just yet. Between nursing homes and adult care homes, there are definitely a lot of differences—especially when it comes to the rights of the patients that are admitted. Here are a few of the adult care home patient rights that are not usually present in a nursing home.

The Right to Retain Control Over Their Own Finances

In a nursing home your loved one will likely still be permitted to control their finances, but they will not be able to keep checkbooks, cash, or other financial items with them personally for their own safety. Nursing home residents are more restricted because it is easier for a patient to lose track of what they have or think money belonging to someone else is theirs. However, in an adult care home, your family member will have the ability to make their own decision about personal monetary property, unless otherwise specified by a designated power of attorney.

Freedom to Participate or Opt Out of Activities

When a patient is in an adult care home, they can choose what type of social activities and events they want to take part in. Nursing homes may require that the patient come to certain events if medically possible to encourage a healthy emotional well-being. Even though this is usually in the best interest of the patient, your loved one may still be fully capable of making their own choices about socializing and prefer privacy.

The Right to Leave at Will Without Professional Permission

Once admitted to a nursing home, your loved one may not be able to come and go at their own discretion—or even the discretion of their family members—for medical reasons. However, adult care homes are not as restricting about the patients leaving. There will still be regulations as far as who they leave with and what time they should be back, but nothing so rigid that it would make it difficult for you to take your family member out for the day when you wish.

When it comes down to it, adult care homes offer a more flexible level of care for an aging adult who just needs a little extra attention. Make sure you know all of the differences between an adult care home (such as Care with Love) and nursing home facility before you make the final decision about where your loved one should stay.

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