One of the biggest decisions a family might have to take is to decide how to provide care for the elderly be it, their parents or other relatives, especially when they are no longer able to live independently. Families try to resolve this emotionally charged issue in a number of ways. Some families find old homes as a mode of proper care for their elderly. While some consider ways to provide elders with sufficient assistance such that they are able to safely remain in their own homes.

Elder care is a way of expressing special care to senior citizens concerning their daily needs and day to day activities. When physical health begins to fail, maintaining the body and performing day to day activities becomes difficult. Seniors living in both home and senior living community, medical and non-medical home care should be provided.

Though nursing homes have become the first choice for most families with elderly relatives, they do have their limitations. Some of these centers for the elderly have become money-making ventures, therefore reducing their emphasis on the needs of the elderly. There are some other problems faced by the elderly in these nursing homes like; poor hygiene, lack of trained medical personnel and quality treatment as well as poor feeding programs. Moreover, placing the elderly in nursing homes limits their freedoms as they have to follow the specified program. They cannot choose when to feed, sleep, interact with their fellow housemates on their own, they cannot even keep their belongings with them.

The rapidly evolving medical facilities make it no longer impossible to provide high exceptional services to the elderly at their comfort zone, making them no longer dependent on others to do stuff they are supposed to do. There are some certified and specialized medical centers that provide home-based services to their elder patients. It helps them with their activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, or meal preparation, while causing no harm to their personal freedom. Home health aides can also provide personal care services that range from a few hours a day to around-the-clock live-in care.