Retirement: Retiring At Home Vs. Assisted Living Facility

This is a guest post and may not represent the beliefs or views of Cinnamon Hollow.

A retirement home may be like home but never the house that we all live in and where most seniors want to spend the rest of their lives. The house that we live in is very much ours that we have built with much care and a lot of emotions stay attached to it. A retirement home has all the features of the house and offers the comforts and convenience of living just like you would be getting in your own home but with a difference. At home, you are the master of everything that you survey and create your own rules whereas, in a retiring home, you have to abide by the rules that others have set. It requires some reasonable amount of mental adjustment to start living in a retirement home.

Retirement

More care at retirement homes

There comes a time when the diminishing physical abilities of seniors coupled with the need for more medical assistance and care, often round the clock, makes it imperative to choose to live in retirement homes. As age progresses, the need for medical care keeps growing especially for someone who suffers from some disabilities whether it is physical or mental.  The increased demand for daily care is hard to meet in homes because of insufficient resources that do not allow proper care. That is the time when retirement homes that offer senior assisted living facilities are more preferred than living in apartments.

Countering loneliness

Isolation is a big problem that seniors have to face because of the vast difference in their lifestyle and other family members. The feeling of loneliness and isolation from mainstream activities develops a sense of insecurity and exclusion among seniors that can cause depression and affect mental health. Assisted living facilities provide the opportunity of living within a community and sharing the joys of living with many others and will never allow seniors to feel lonely. The environment at a retirement home creates inclusiveness as seniors interact with peers of the similar age group that gives a lot of satisfaction.

Safe living environment

Many seniors are unable to perform their routines and daily tasks and would require round the clock assistance which is very difficult to arrange at home for the longer duration.  Elders are very susceptible to lose their balance when moving around and might fall and hurt themselves that can be bad for them. Senior assisted living apartments have adequate safety arrangements in bathrooms and toilets as well as in corridors and staircase by providing railings and handles so that seniors can move around safely without the fear of falling or slipping.  It is impossible to install all medical alert systems at home and arrange for round the clock supervision for seniors.

Since living in assisted facilities allows seniors to interact with others it inspires them to move ahead with confidence and enjoy a life that gives them fulfillment and satisfaction.   They can socialize and stay active by exercising or pursuing their hobbies that can delay the process of aging.

 

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