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You’ve lived in your own home for as long as you can remember. Decades!
You can still remember the thrill of that long-ago first home purchase. Through the years, you’ve owned different houses, and the responsibilities of upkeep and maintenance have become old hat—part of the territory of ownership.
The kids have come and gone, retirement arrived, and you’re still enjoying your home so much!
Move to an assisted living facility? Sure. Someday.
Did you know there are over 29,000 assisted living (AL) facilities in the United States alone? A million seniors live in those homes.
They moved there for a variety of reasons, all of which centered on their physical, mental, or social safety and wellbeing. The time had come when they–or their family—decided that living independently was no longer the best option for them.
You might be open to the idea of leaving your home, downsizing, and moving to a place where other people will manage your household and care.
On the other hand, you might feel like assisted living is for everyone else and you intend to live in your own home forever.
If the latter is you, give us a few open-minded minutes. Simply read through the following sections, ask yourself the questions, and tuck away the answers for consideration.
How do you feel about food these days? If someone were to look in your fridge or pantry, would he or she see quantities of healthy, fresh products? Or shelves full of items long past expiration?
You may not get the award of the year for your superfoods inventory, and that’s ok. You should be getting enough to eat, though, and the food shouldn’t be sitting there expired or moldy.
A related point is your comfort level in the kitchen. Note if you’re still able to hold pans and heavy dishes securely and if you always remember to turn off burners.
If your diet management has slipped from the way it used to be, look at that. In an assisted living facility, meals are provided, and you will always get the nutrition you need.
Yes, it may seem like we’re meddling with this topic. But there are things to observe about your personal care habits that may reveal how well you’re doing living alone.
Consider how often you bathe, shower, shave, wash hair, brush teeth, and change clothes. Are good grooming habits holding steady?
Or do you have less interest in getting dressed each day because of difficulties with clothing and jewelry? Maybe fixing your hair has become a burden because of the challenges with standing while getting ready.
How are you doing with your current health issues?
Do you or your spouse/partner have a chronic and progressive condition such as dementia, Parkinson’s, COPD, diabetes, or osteoarthritis? Look at your health challenges and talk about them with other key people—your spouse or partner, your children, and your doctor. Keep in mind that most assisted living facilities don’t offer skilled nursing care. Some AL centers have skilled nursing facilities incorporated into their setup, however.
You might be managing these chronic conditions ok for now. Consider that as the conditions progress, life will become harder to manage on your own. Moving to a care center could relieve the difficulties.
How would you rate your connections with others? If you’ve always been active in groups, clubs, circles, and communities, are you still? Or do you find yourself not engaging because it feels like too much effort? Take a quick personal audit at how much time you spend with others versus how much time you used to spend.
Of course, changing seasons of life bring changing levels of activity, and we’re not suggesting that the breakneck pace of your forties is what you should replicate now. It’s just that as human beings, we all need a certain level of interaction with other people—and not only with our spouse, partner, and children. Be aware of changes that are occurring for you in that department.
Residing in an assisted living facility, whether married, alone, or with a partner, means you can easily and naturally be around people when you want to.
As stability decreases and eyesight dims, it’s important to live in a home that has few trip-and-fall hazards. It’s also important to have modifications such as grip bars in the shower, railings on walls beside steps, and the like.
Look at your home and install these features if possible. If you can’t, consider that continuing to live there could jeopardize your physical safety.
Consider your comfort level with driving. Can you still drive yourself anywhere without undue stress or anxiety? Are you parking well, or do you occasionally have “grazing” mishaps?
If you’re not driving, are you easily able to get around with other modes of transport?
If you find yourself staying home because you don’t have transport or because the stress of driving isn’t worth the outing, pay attention to that.
You’ve always managed your bills and stayed on top of paperwork. You’ve ordered things, tossed junk mail, opened letters, observed birthdays, renewed car registration, updated policies, etc., etc. Occasionally it seemed overwhelming, but that feeling would pass, and you took it all in stride. And yes, you got everything done.
How are life management tasks going for you these days?
We’ve listed several areas to think about as you consider how well you’re doing living independently, and, further, if it’s time to think about moving to an assisted living facility.
Remember our suggestion above—that you discuss these topics with people you love and trust. They may see things that you don’t. Trusted opinions will help to round out the information on which you base your decisions.
You may be able to live for many more years independently in your own home. On the other hand, moving to an assisted living facility could lift worry and keep you safer.
The goal in either living situation is your physical, mental, and emotional health and wellbeing!
