While the decision to move to assisted living may feel overwhelming—or like a loss of independence or freedom—you might be surprised by the benefits.
First, let’s look at some of the most common signs it may be time to consider an assisted living move for yourself or a loved one:
- Changes in mobility that affect getting around safely at home or in the community.
- Changes in vision or hearing that impact safe maneuvering at home or on the road.
- Changes in the ability to drive safely that impact independence and autonomy.
- Changes in memory that affect appointment setting, communication, and coordination.
- Changes in health that impact quality of life and the ability to care for self or a spouse/partner.
- Changes in social circles, such as grief over the loss of friends and relatives, loneliness due to friends or family moving to a new area or into a different season of life, or isolation due to the responsibilities of caring for a spouse or partner with health needs.
- Changes to finances that impact the ability to keep up with home maintenance, increasing health care expenses, or other related bills and costs.
With these challenges and changes in mind, let’s take a look at the 5 benefits of assisted living:
1. Freedom from Reliance on Family or Neighbors
After a fall, major surgery, or other health change like an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, the ability to live at home without support from family, friends, or neighbors may become more challenging.
It’s harder to get up and down the stairs to do laundry. Driving may no longer be an option as vision changes. Keeping track of doctor’s appointments or even getting across town to the grocery store is an exercise in coordination and frustration.
Assisted living is designed to provide support around these instrumental activities of daily living. With a built-in team of caring professionals taking care of these things, you don’t have to worry about calling your grandson or daughter-in-law again for help. Once you’ve settled in your new assisted living apartment, you can call them and invite them for a visit instead.
2. Freedom from Home Maintenance
Mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, tending the garden, dusting the furniture – over time, these household maintenance tasks pile up and take every moment of free time and energy. In assisted living, when the drafty windows need to be replaced or the icy walkways need salt, someone else will take care of it.
Enjoy a beautiful garden walk without bending down to pull weeds or remembering to water, prune, or winter certain perennials. Enjoy your morning coffee without rushing to clean countertops or having to run the vacuum in tight corners. Daily and weekly housekeeping services have you covered.
3. Freedom from Financial Stress
Whether you’re 55 or 75, the stress of household bills and health care expenses can be overwhelming. Another piece of mail comes to notify you of an increase in heating costs, or another bill for your hospital stay arrives, and the worry over finances becomes all consuming.
By choosing a supportive living option like assisted living, your monthly costs are more predictable and stable. And instead of all-consuming worry, you have access to all-inclusive pricing for the services you need as your care levels may change.
4. Freedom to Pursue Hobbies and New Friendships
If you can’t remember the last time you played bridge or bingo, check out the activities calendar at our assisted living community. From concerts and card groups to creative projects and community gatherings, there’s always something to do.
And if you prefer to enjoy the library alone and meet up with new friends for dinner once a week, that’s fine too – there are options for privacy and pursuing friendships and hobbies at your pace.
5. Freedom from Worry About Health Changes
Probably the main reason families and individuals ultimately choose a move to assisted living? The unpredictability of health changes in later life and the way they can have a significant impact on daily life.
Activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, or even using the bathroom are much harder when Parkinson’s has progressed, or after a major surgery like a hip or knee replacement.
Whether cognitive, mobility, and vision changes happen steadily over time, or a health emergency like a stroke changes everything overnight, being in assisted living offers peace of mind to both the individual and their concerned family and friends.
The Bright Side of Assisted Living at Heritage Pointe of Huntington
All those things that seniors often worry about when considering a supportive living transition? Concerns about the unknowns are to be expected, but there is still plenty of independence, privacy, and control when you choose assisted living at Heritage Pointe of Huntington.
Come visit us and picture the joys and freedoms of residing in our comfortable community with easy access to enriching and engaging experiences and compassionate care providers nearby as needed.
