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Avoiding the Nursing Home Blues

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Transitioning Out of Your Home

There are a lot of things we look forward to when we prepare for a life of retirement and those “golden years” of being a senior citizen. Of course, it takes a bit of getting used to transitioning to the role of granddad or grandma while releasing the stresses of holding a job and raising a family. Unfortunately, being a senior is rarely a journey that is smooth sailing.

Every role we play in life comes with its own unique set of challenges, and being a senior is no different. Of course, your physical condition is something on your mind as your body ages. Finances can be a concern and, as always, you worry about your kids and grandkids. One worry that sits at the back of the minds of many senior citizens is the worry that some day your kids will put you in a nursing home.

Everyone Hates Nursing Homes

The aversion to the very idea of going to a nursing home goes back decades, probably to the days when a nursing home was really the only alternative when a senior needed medical care daily. It wasn’t that long that the phrase “going to a nursing home” was equivalent to being put out to pasture to wait for death. Indeed, one study showed that living in a nursing home was the equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

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Moreover, the real nightmare has always been that your own dear children would somehow become tired of caring for you and just “stick you in the nursing home” just to get old grandma and grandpa out of the way. So we have the concept of terrible living conditions, loss of freedom, home and friends and rejection of family that builds up into a pretty horrible fear as you move into your golden years.

This is not to say that even today there are not some pretty horrible nursing homes out there. The occasional story about nursing home abuse that seems to get lots of space in the newspaper doesn’t help our worries at all. 

The Reality of Retirement Homes

This fear isn’t without merit. Many seniors fight to retain autonomy because they have heard that their local facility isn’t living up to its advertising. Staff members can be overwhelmed, overworked and underpaid. The ones who suffer are the patients who depend on them. The problem is, many times, you don’t know what you’re getting into until you’ve already made a commitment. Online reviews can be bought and there may be underhanded deals going on that may put your health at risk. On the outside, it looks like a great facility, but there’s no guarantee a home will live up to its hype.

More Choices for Senior Living

The good news is that today, there are many more choices available to senior citizens for care when staying in their home is no longer an option. Several services are becoming available where you can get long term assistance without having to endure the nightmare scenario of a nursing home. 

In the last ten to twenty years, the field of elder care has undergone what can only be described as a revolution. Now, instead of nursing homes as your only option, there are assisted care facilities, managed care and senior apartment communities where you can continue to live a life of freedom, creativity, and independence while still having access to as much care as necessary when you need it.

If you are somewhere between needing full care and being able to handle being in a home on your own, check online for reputable handyman sites like Angi

Need a ride? Your local public transportation may have an on-demand door-to-door service for seniors.

Shopping can be done with a dedicated service. There are also subscription meal services that offer full or partially cooked meals delivered to your door so you can eat healthy meals without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

If you’re still at home but recovering from a medical procedure, there are now plenty of approved medical visitation services that can see you through your rehabilitation and recovery.

Considered an Assisted Care Facility

When it’s finally time to move out of a home that has become a burden, consider an assisted care facility. An assisted care facility can work almost exactly like an apartment complex or condominium.  

Depending on what kind of care you need, the directors of assisted care facilities can custom design how much care you need and nothing more. They can take a lot of the daily chores off of your mind so you can really enjoy your golden years.  

Typically, an assisted care facility will do your laundry, provide for food and help with special diets if your doctor needs that and provide the security both for your safety and that you have people around to look in should a problem arise.

This can be a tremendous relief to family and to you that you never have to worry about falling and not having help. The staff at your assisted care home are there to help you and support you as much as you need when you need it but when you don’t need them around, they disappear into the woodwork so you can live a happy independent life until you need them again.

There are medical people on call should you need them and the great thing about these facilities is that if you need more care over the years, they can gradually add those services on an as needed basis and you never have to move out or change your lifestyle.

This truly is the best of both worlds because you can live as independently as you can but have help there on call when you need them to be there. Above all, assisted care is your home. It’s a place of friendship and social interaction and will never be mistaken for a nursing home.

Emily Turner
🌟Emily Turner - Your Guide to Fulfilling Retirement Greetings! I'm Emily Turner, a seasoned retirement lifestyle coach and writer dedicated to helping individuals like you navigate the exciting journey from middle age to retirement with confidence and joy. With over three decades of experience, I have honed my expertise in retirement planning, personal growth, and holistic well-being.
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