When we were younger, our parents never stopped worrying about us. However, the situation is reversed when they reach their senior years and they may struggle to cope with everything life has in store for them. Independent living is an option for parents who need a little help and would benefit from a greater sense of community. When in-home care isn’t going to be a good fit and they need something more well-rounded, perhaps a different living arrangement would be better. Here are some things they might be struggling with that may indicate it’s time for independent living for your parents.
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They Are Struggling to Get Around
A parent may have driven a car before but since their eyesight began to fail, they’ve decided to stop driving. The cost of hiring an Uber every time they need to go anywhere can get expensive, so perhaps they’re shopping less frequently for essentials. They like to be independent, but it’s now a struggle to remain so. Maybe they’re doing without, and you’ve noticed missing items when you’ve visited them. That could be less food in the refrigerator, fewer cleaning suppliers, and other essentials of life.
Their Home Isn’t Too Clean Nowadays
Most people are proud of their home and like to keep it clean. If this is like your past family home, then it can come as a shock when you visit and it’s not how it used to be. You may find that the carpets haven’t been vacuumed lately, lower shelves are filled with dust, or other signs here and there. This is an indicator that they’re having trouble bending forward, kneeling, and/or reaching up. If this is the case, unless it’s related to a temporary illness, the situation won’t improve with time.
Money is a Bit of a Mess
Even though they’re retired, if they’ve never been good with planning daily expenditures, then money could be a pain for them. While they could have a pension from a past employer or rely on social security checks, that’s just the money being received. Don’t confuse that with expenditures. If they are poor at managing their checking accounts, it’s hard to sit back and watch.
They Are Increasingly Isolated
One of the sad realities of reaching the senior years is that your friends are lost to old age. The ever-reducing number of friends and difficulties getting about can leave them feeling isolated. While they certainly can walk around the local neighborhood, going any distance to meet people could be limiting their ability to remain social. If they’re naturally a happy, outgoing person, this could be impacting them emotionally too.
Is an Independent Living Facility the Answer?
The idea with independent living is that it’s set up for people at retirement age, or those trying to get the best out of it. A retirement living Myrtle Beach facility like Portside at Grande Dunes is designed to remove many of life’s hassles and restrictions to make it fun again.
Services might include organized outings, trips into town for shopping, help with managing social security payments, and cooked meals. Also, they could make new friends too. It makes living through retirement far more pleasurable.
Whether you call it retirement living or independent living, these both refer to new living arrangements offering ease and comfort without the hassle. For people wanting to enjoy their senior years in a leisurely fashion, it’s just the ticket.
Read also: Tips on How to Become More Independent