Independent Living for Seniors

By encouraging independence and self-care, aging parents stay in charge of their own lives for as long as possible. They report high rates of personal satisfaction and unlike other forms of health care, in-home care helps extend life by eliminating stressors associated with aging in a senior care facility.

Aging in place tends to improve seniors’ quality of life, which improves their physical health. It also insulates them from the bacterial and viral risks found in senior living facilities, reducing their chance of contracting a serious illness. 

6 Reasons to Age at Home vs a Seniors Home

Safety

The fact that you are growing in age shouldn’t be a consideration for a change in location. There is also the alarming possibility of contracting diseases from other seniors at nursing homes.

This phenomenon is unlikely to happen when you live in your own home. As you age, your immune system weakens. This increases the chances of contracting diseases from others. When you live in your own home, you are less likely to become sick compared to living in an independent neighborhood or retirement community built for seniors.

Independence

Aging at home allows seniors to live a very comfortable life in their homes. The freedom you have within your home is quite different from what you will experience in nursing homes.

Seniors in nursing homes are not all that independent because many of their decisions are based on what everyone else does and what is accepted in the environment in which they live.

By living at home, you can be visited by anyone at any hour of the day. You can choose to prepare and eat any meal you desire. Everything is done according to your wishes.

A Comfortable Life

It might sound trite, but comfort comes with aging in place. By being comfortable, it means you can do what pleases you and inspire you. Living in a nursing home might mean you have to alter your routine to fit into everyone’s routine or to fit into what is highlighted by homecare.

In your own home, you can sleep or wake up whenever you wish, as still receive health care when needed via in-home care. You can alter your physical environment to what will give you the maximum rest and satisfaction you desire.

Proximity To Family And Friends

It is safe to say that most of your family and friends live around you, as well as any caregivers. Even if some of them don’t, they surely know where you reside and they can visit you at any time.

It is a plus for them as they can still play with their grandchildren and visit their childhood friends. Familiarity brings a lot of smiles to the faces of elders. It is also known to be a factor for longevity in lifespan.

More so, being close to your family and friends entails that they can help you with chores around the house. You can also take a walk to a friend’s house that is near your own house. There are lots of benefits of living in your home as you age.

Assisted-living facilities can limit the quality time you spend with these fantastic people. Even relatives might have to step back a little if where you are is very far from them. Also, assisted living facilities to regulate visits.

This poses a huge limitation on the social time you spend with the most important people in your life. If you want frequent visits from children, grandchildren, and friends, the best is to age in place.

Money

While the most vital aspect of life when aging is health, money is a crucial element too. When making considerations about where to live during your twilight years, ensure you should also think about the finances. If you choose to age in place, you don’t have to pay extra mortgage fees to secure any housing apartment.

On the other hand, choosing to live in a seniors’ apartment will consume a lot of money you could have spent on other important areas. Besides the acquisition of a new apartment, you will also spend on some installations and furniture.

The cost of nursing homes will also add up faster than you thought. However, aging in place is a cheaper option, especially as most seniors own their homes and they already have everything they will ever need in place. The might not need to purchase any other thing except they choose to.

Convenience

Convenience is a big part of comfort. The services noted here include daily activities like buying items and interval activities like health services. This is a good benefit for seniors, especially those whose mobility has declined due to their increase in age.

As a senior, you can choose to be attended to at home, and you may want to go to the point of service. This is unlike a nursing home where everything is done in a regulated manner.

Conclusion

The things that we do as humans on a daily basis are numerous. Some are private, others are not. Some are a priority, others are not. However, aging in place puts you right at the center of the activities you would love to do every day.

Aging in place lets you live the life you want to live, gives you the safety you need, the independence you deserve, and strengthens your relationships with the people who you consider the most important to you.

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