As people age, they must confront a host of new problems. How can they maintain both their independence and their health? What happens to a couple or single older adult’s social life when driving is no longer possible? Will there be family members available to provide help if anything goes wrong?
The problem is, there’s no way to answer these questions when aging in place at home. The better option for Texas seniors who want to ensure that they can live out their golden years in comfort and style without giving up their independence or diminishing their quality of life is to look into assisted living. Older adults can read on to find out how assisted living communities can help them live their best lives well into retirement.
Maintain Independence
Most older adults fear losing their independence, with some viewing the problem as being literally worse than death. They dread putting too much pressure on family caregivers or delegating tasks they used to take care of themselves without any problem to paid professionals. As a result, some people insist on aging in place at home, even when it fosters more of a sense of isolation than of independence.
Assisted living communities provide an excellent alternative. Residents will be provided with comfortable, spacious, and private assisted living apartments, but will still get limited assistance from staff on-site. This arrangement may be viewed as a compromise at first, but most older adults find that embracing assisted living is the best way to maintain not just their independence but also their dignity.
Sense of Community
Research shows that participating in a supportive community can dramatically improve seniors’ quality of life. People who choose to age at home often wind up missing out on a lot of social activities, especially if they no longer drive. Assisted living communities provide all kinds of opportunities for socializing with peers and allow residents to maintain strong connections with their family members and other loved ones instead of relying on them for personal care.
Finding a sense of community isn’t just about living in close proximity to others. It’s also about sharing meals, activities, and memories to foster new connections and build new friendships. Continuing to socialize can also help older adults stave off issues with cognitive decline and common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
More Time
By the time they reach retirement, most older adults have done more than their fair share of not just working to support their families but also housework, landscaping, home maintenance, cooking, driving kids to school, and taking care of other daily tasks. When they continue to live at home, these responsibilities don’t just disappear upon retirement. They continue to take up a lot of retirees’ valuable time.
Assisted living communities allow older adults to regain some of the time they have lost and put it to better use. Residents don’t have to worry about maintaining homes, doing yard work, driving to appointments, or even cooking meals. They can share delicious, chef-prepared meals in the dining hall with friends, take advantage of transportation services for shopping, doctor’s appointments, and social engagements, and even get help with basic housework.
Continuum of Care
Few people want to think about what will happen if they develop dementia or another neurological condition that impacts their ability to care for themselves. People in assisted living communities are still independent and able to perform daily tasks for themselves, even if they sometimes need a little help. Unfortunately, there may come a day when the assistance provided in this setting is no longer sufficient to meet a resident’s needs.
The levels of personal assistance and medical care provided helps to differentiate assisted living vs memory care. Residents with dementia can receive the more extensive help and supervision they need in memory care units, while independent retirees can maintain their own private apartments in assisted living communities. If, however, there comes a time when a resident needs more help, he or she will be better off moving to a memory care unit in the same community than being forced into a completely unfamiliar environment.
Make the Move and Schedule a Tour
Looking to make the move to an assisted living community in Texas that really cares about its residents? River Point of Kerrville is committed to providing the highest level of personalized assistance at competitive rates while maintaining a high standard of living for every resident. Browse our website to learn more about us or call (830) 258-4150 to schedule a tour.
