Many people prefer home care before any other option, and for good reason. Who wouldn’t want to stay home if they could? Home is a place of emotional and physical associations, memories and comfort. Although many people can be happy in assisted living facilities, retirement communities or nursing homes—and for many people these are better options—for some people leaving their home can be disruptive and depressing.

Home care is one of the fastest growing segments of the elder care market, and there are a variety of different home care options—offering everything from light housekeeping to skilled nursing. Because of the many options in home care that are becoming available, people in all kinds of situations can now make it their first choice. Here are ten reasons why home care is a popular choice:

1 - Faster release from hospital

With home care, patients can come home sooner from the hospital. Since the services of nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers and caregivers can follow patients home, they don’t have to stay in the hospital as long.

2 - Substitute for hospital or nursing home

In some cases—depending on the severity of an illness or disability — home care can substitute for other forms of institutionalized care, including hospitals. nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

3 - Involvement with treatment

Both the patient and family members can be more intimately involved with the patient’s treatment at home—helping to administer medications, working with the patient on physical therapy and coaching them on their recovery.

4 - Independence

Who doesn’t want independence? This is the greatest plus for receiving care in one’s own home.

5 - Comfort

Being at home is simply more comfortable for most people than being in an unfamiliar place. They have their photographs, books, bed, bath, kitchen, telephone, television; everything is in its place, which in studies has proven to be an effective emotional healer.

6 - Family and friends

Unlike the restricted visiting hours at hospitals and nursing homes, home provides a place where family and friends can be close to the person at all hours, whenever needed.

7 - Morale

Patients tend to have a greater sense of well-being and overall morale when they are in the comfortable surroundings of their own home.

8 - Faster recovery

Research has shown that recovery can be faster at home than in the hospital, particularly if there is good quality, skilled home health care available to the patient.

9 - Cost

Depending on the hours needed, home care can be much more affordable than nursing homes or other institutions.

10 - Promotes healing

Patients enjoy a much better quality of life which many families have said helped to extend the lives, health & happiness of their loved ones. They are in a familiar environment around their family in both their home and community in which they've lived for many years. This is particularly true with individuals suffering from dementia.