NOTE FROM SWEET GREENS: My grandmother lived in a retirement care facility for the last several years of her life. The decision was made when my grandfather became very ill and remained in a nursing home until he passed. This particular retirement community offered many opportunities for her to socialize, discover new interests, exercise and even get her hair done at the on-site salon. More importantly, she was still able to live in her own little space, a community of people around her – and was able to get assistance whenever she needed it simply by pressing a button.
This article on modern solutions to retirement care wasn’t written by me, but I thought the information could be helpful to those of you in this transition in life or helping someone who is. Thank you for supporting the community that help to run Sweet Greens.
Elderly people today are very different from those of previous generations. During retirement many people continue to be active for years – continuing to work part-time, volunteer for causes important to them, spending time with friends and family, discovering new interests and hobbies and perhaps helping with the care of their grandchildren. However, when they are no longer able to keep up their own home, take care of their daily needs or need assistance getting around, their living situation will need modification.
Traditional care for older people
There has recently been a lot of concern about standards in retirement care homes throughout the world. While there are good retirement care homes, cost pressures may impact on important areas such as staff training, so standards are not always as high as they should be. It is very important to carefully research the retirement care home before placing your family member in one.
Even if an individual needs care, moving into a retirement care home is not the only available option. Some older people find moving in with family members works for them and their families, but this depends very much on the individuals.
Sometimes moving close to family members is enough to make it possible to stay independent for longer. If you do not want to rely on your family, or do not have close relatives, packages of retirement care can be arranged in your own home from professional caregivers, but the disadvantage of this is that visiting caregivers are not always allocated enough time to meet all of the necessary needs, meaning that you may have to work with many different caregivers in a week.
Modern trends in care for older people
Retirement villages have been popular all around the world for quite some time. Perhaps one of the best solutions available is to buy or rent in a retirement village where you can maintain your privacy and independence but have the security of knowing that the help you need with your day-to-day life is there, as well as opportunities to enhance your social life, engage in fun activities and explore new interests and hobbies.
The benefits of living in a retirement community include the fact that residents can enhance their social life while maintaining their independence. If residents need assistance in any aspect of daily living it can be arranged by the staff. It gives peace of mind knowing that care is available if and when needed.
Retirement villages often have their own centers with cafes, restaurants, hair salons, libraries, fitness facilities and launderettes available for residents to use if they choose. With social activities and programs available to suit people with all levels of ability, making socializing and discovering new activities and hobbies with your neighbors and building friendships very easy.
The individual homes in retirement villages can be one, two or three-bedroom houses, condos, or apartments. They are equipped with emergency alarms and the level of care will be tailored to the needs of the individual. It is good to know that if your care needs increase, the amount of help you get can be increased as well.
An increasing number of retired people as young as 55 are choosing to make their homes in retirement villages where they find all the facilities they need and are likely to need throughout their retirement.
No comments yet.