Your home is more than just a building. It’s the place where life happens. You might have lived there your whole life, or scrimped and saved for years to purchase a dream space. Home is familiar, safe, and comfortable. It’s imbued with warm memories. No wonder most seniors say they want to live at home for as long as possible. Yet the reality of living at home often fails to live up to the fantasy.
Assisted living offers a welcoming home that you can make as charming and comfortable as your current space. It also offers amenities that you just can’t get at home. In fact, most seniors say that their lives improve in assisted living. If you crave the comfort of home but increasingly face hurdles such as home maintenance, loneliness, boredom, or health issues, assisted living may help bridge the gap between the retirement you have and the retirement you deserve.
Assisted Living Amenities You Can’t Get at Home
Your home is priceless, and the memories you have there are irreplaceable. It’s easy to focus on what life at home offers. An honest look at your options, however, requires an assessment of what you can’t get at home. Some assisted living amenities that just aren’t available at home include:
- Help whenever you need it. Assisted living helps you with the activities you struggle with—whether it’s cooking food, getting dressed, or something else. If you live at home, the only way to get help when you need it is by enlisting the assistance of a 24/7 caregiver who is always underfoot. In assisted living, help is there when you want or need it, and only then.
- Relief from the demands of caregiving, and the challenging family dynamics that caregiving can trigger. Relying on loved ones for help means you’ll have a caregiver you trust. But caregiving can be exhausting and stressful work. It may also shift family dynamics. In assisted living, you get the help you need without relying on loved ones, allowing you to change the balance of power in your family relationships.
- Easy socialization and relief from loneliness. When you live at home, an outing with a friend may require days or weeks of planning, a long drive, and a lot of exhaustion. In assisted living, you only have to walk outside your home if you want to talk to someone. You’ll make friends with like-minded seniors, and finding something to do together requires little more than walking a few steps down the hall.
- Plenty of opportunities to master new skills and hobbies. In assisted living, there’s something for everyone—yoga, support groups, volunteer opportunities, and more. When you live at home, finding something to do requires planning and money. In assisted living, there’s always something fun to do.
- A more active lifestyle. No matter what you’re into, remaining active can become more challenging as you age. Walking your dog, for example, can become a precarious undertaking if you have osteoporosis or a mobility impairment, while going to yoga may require catching a ride with a loved one. Assisted living makes it safe and easy to stay physically and mentally active, without all the planning, expense, and stress.
- Regular celebrations. At assisted living, life is full of joy. The best assisted living communities offer a wide range of celebrations and special events, such as birthday parties and live music. A rollicking good time is just a few steps from your front door.
When to Consider Assisted Living
Assisted living can improve the life of any senior who craves more adventure and more meaning, but who needs a little bit of help. Some signs that assisted living might be right for you include:
- You feel young at heart, but physical issues are making it more difficult to do the things you enjoy.
- You live (or feel) alone, or no longer drive, and worry about what would happen if you needed help.
- You need assistance with one or more activities of daily living, such as dressing or bathing.
- You no longer feel confident when preparing your own meals.
- You want a more engaged retirement.
- You rely on loved ones for care, but would prefer not to.
- You can’t afford—or do not want—in-home care.
- The costs and logistical challenges of homeownership feel increasingly overwhelming.
How Arbor Terrace Fulton Can Help
Arbor Terrace Fulton offers luxury assisted living that includes gourmet dining, gorgeous homes, virtually endless activity choices, transportation when you need it, help with daily activities, and much more. We understand that you may have mixed feelings about moving to assisted living, and that such a big change can be scary.
We’ve also seen countless lives transform in assisted living. We would love to show you how great retirement can be, and to talk to you about how assisted living can actually preserve your autonomy and independence.
Give us a call to learn more, or follow us on Facebook for details on upcoming community events. We can’t wait to meet you!