The Right Time to Shift to a Retirement Home

Are you in your twilight years, left with an empty nest? Have you lost a spouse and are grieving, or have your basic activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, or eating become a burden?

If your answer to all these questions is yes, then moving into a retirement home may be the best option; however, it is easier said than done. Deciding the right time to move into a retirement home is one of the complicated decisions in life.

Usually, people wait for a crisis before taking this all-important decision but it is wiser to plan ahead of time when you are still in a condition to channel your resources and move into a retirement home before an emergency occurs. So, what is the right time to move into a retirement home?

Consider the following questions before making this all-important decision.

Shifting into a retirement home is a big decision that requires careful thought and planning. If you are thinking to shift into a retirement home, you must be wondering whether your age is right!

While the average age of seniors in a retirement home is around the mid-eighties, some people are ready to move into senior living as early as sixty-five or even before because age is not the only factor that influences this decision.

There are several. Hence, it is a personal decision that suits different people with different needs at different stages of their life. There comes a time when shifting into a retirement home is beneficial to you and your dear ones. However, most people refrain from taking this crucial step as they fear a loss of independence but fear not!

Many retirement homes accommodate various levels of independence. It implies that you can adopt the retirement home lifestyle, even if you are younger or senior and desires to live in a supportive and socially appropriate retirement home.

Home and vehicle maintenance is the regular upkeep and general repair of the wear and tear that your house and vehicle go through every year.

These tiresome activities may range from power-washing your vehicle, deck, driveway patio, or siding to mowing your lawn, tending your plants and grass, cleaning out your drains, gutters, and vents, fixing leaky faucets, repairing home appliances, to maintenance and filter replacement in your air-conditioning and heating unit, to testing smoke alarms, to taking your car for servicing and repairs to the garage.

Added to these are other challenges, like mold remediation, replacing a roof or HVAC system, replacing windows of your house, or fixing a sinking foundation. It can drain healthy savings account other than draining you physically and mentally, but none of these things are your concern in a retirement home.

Accidents are likely to occur more as you get older, and simple activities of daily living such as cooking and showering can become medical emergencies. As your motor skills decrease, seniors become more prone to bad falls, breaking or fracturing bones. It can turn into serious situations, especially if they cannot access immediate medical attention or make emergency phone calls.

These scenarios indicate that it is perhaps the best time to shift into a retirement home. Not only this, but as you age, you find that your recovery time from even minor accidents gets slower. While a young person’s bones tend to heal fast after an accident, it is not so with a senior. This can be a big concern and indicate that it is time to move into a retirement home.

The mental and emotional state is crucial as living alone can be a challenge. When the feeling of solitude changes to one of loneliness, it may be the right time to move into a retirement home. It often occurs when a senior is relegated to a sedentary life due to health issues, loses a spouse, is left with an empty nest with children being far from home, cannot socialize and feels lonely.

At such times, anxiety and depression can set in. Shifting into a retirement home brings them in proximity to persons who have faced nearly similar situations. This can be a great starting point for new friendships and bonds to occur, giving the senior a new lease on life.

When a senior can no longer perform simple house chores such as keeping the house in order, maybe the time has come for them to shift to a retirement home.

For instance, if the home is in disorder, the sink is full of dirty dishes, the toilet has not been scrubbed for a long time, the bed linen has not been changed for days, and unhygienic living conditions lead to serious health issues, then it is an indication that the time is right to shift into a retirement home.

Are you childless or are your children too far away to take care of you? Or are your family members too busy with their own lives to take care of you? In such situations, it can be a viable option to shift into a retirement home to preserve your health and dignity. In a retirement home, you will get round-the-clock care which may not be possible or unavailable at home.

If you are active and healthy today, it is a blessing indeed. But if your health does not remain the same in future, what would it be like? This question might have already started haunting you. But rest assured, in a retirement home, you have access to all the care you may need, including assisted living and memory care. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, including the retirement homes.

But they have proactively evolved to ensure the ongoing health care and well-being of the residents, incorporating stricter protocols and safety practices. Every necessity and luxury right from wellness, educational and social opportunities, dining, salon and spa services, dry cleaning and room services are available right where they live so that going outside the retirement home isn’t even a necessity anymore. They can afford to “stay home, stay safe”.

Man is a social animal, and friendship is an integral part of life and an indicator that it is thriving. Most people rely on local clubs and church communities to remain socially active and stimulated. However, it is a bad sign if you are unable to meet up with friends and relatives or are uninterested in weekly lunches and get-togethers on festivals and occasions. This can be a cause for concern and the right time to consider shifting into a retirement home.

Are your bank jobs pending? Are there piles of unopened important postcards and unpaid bills? Do you find it overwhelming to manage your finances? At a retirement home, all your needs for essential amenities such as water, electricity, cable, and more are taken care of. So, if you have a recurring income from any source and can afford to pay the monthly fee for retired living, it is the right time to shift into a retirement home.

As crimes against seniors are on a rise, living alone can make you vulnerable to safety and security threats. There is a greater probability of you being targeted by thieves, burglars, and even killers. Many of you may face other security and safety disasters due to your vulnerable physical state, and help may not always be within reach.

While in a retirement home, security and emergency response are provided 24×7 to keep the seniors safe at all times. Moreover, almost all retirement homes provide emergency call button services to ensure that assistance is within a senior’s reach around the clock.

There comes a time when seniors find managing their health and wellness a huge challenge. Hence, shifting to a retirement home is the easiest way to access a wide range of amenities and benefits that can improve their health and wellbeing. From nutritious dishes to physical exercises and treatment of diseases, the lifestyle at retirement homes is planned to improve your health and wellness.

As you grow older, your circle of friends and relatives becomes smaller and smaller due to the death or relocation of people around you. This, in turn, minimizes your opportunities to socialize, and your failing health only adds further to it, creating a vacuum in your life that is not at all conducive to your emotional and mental health.

One of the primary benefits of shifting into a retirement home is the opportunity to socialize and have fun with your fellow residents. Retirement homes provide various daily activities of your interest, like indoor and outdoor games, gardening, movie nights, book clubs, birthday parties, festive occasions, excursions, etc.

These activities and occasions are a perfect way to socialize and unwind, which is essential for your emotional and mental health. As the world changes around us just as we do, retirement homes are the necessity of the hour. Though deciding on the right time to shift into a retirement home is not an easy decision, as there are no rules of the thumb, and the necessities change from person to person depending on their needs; it must not be delayed until a crisis occurs.

Take time to decide which is right for you, depending on the level of independence and luxuries you need. Move into a retirement home where you can age in the same place and has all the facilities to meet your current and future needs. Move in, and you will probably never regret your decision.