What Are the Necessary Ingredients for a Happy Retirement?
Contrary to popular belief, retirement can be a fulfilling time of life. Seniors consistently cite good health and companionship as the most important ingredients for a happy retired life. Healthcare too ranks high with concerns about remaining independent. Many assisted living communities fulfill all these conditions, giving seniors a chance to enjoy their golden years. For families who are concerned about their elderly relatives living alone, assisted living information is a good place to start planning ahead.
Ingredients for a happy retirement
Good health, companionship, and multiple activities or pursuits are all essential ingredients for a happy retirement. For many seniors, the greatest fear is being a burden on their families or neighbors. Having medical care when it’s needed can make all the difference in helping them to live independent and busy lives.
Many assisted living facilities offer all of these conditions and more. Senior communities have a variety of living arrangements, with options like independent apartments and full time care for those who need it. They also offer a range of activities on site as well as transportation to local destinations like malls, museums and libraries.
Health care on site
Healthcare is an important aspect of assisted living for seniors. Many seniors tend to need healthcare, to help them to deal with chronic conditions like high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and other cognitive decline diseases. And four out of ten need and receive help with daily activities like bathing, medications and meals.
It’s natural to not want to look too far into the future, but one consequence of this tendency is that most people don’t have a realistic idea of how much care they will need in their old age. A survey of people in the 50 plus age group by Age Wave, only 37% felt that they would need long term care in the future. In reality, almost twice as many, or 70% actually will need long term care.
Assisted living offers the best of both worlds
Retirement centers offer residents full time on site care as well as the independence to follow their own interests and pursuits. A survey by Genworth Financial found that more than half, or 55%, of those surveyed were most concerned about being a burden on their families. Their fear of being a burden was actually five times greater than their fear of dying.
Senior assisted living centers provide the independence that seniors and their families value, while offering the highest level of care. For families dealing with the problems of elderly relatives living alone, assisted living information can show many workable alternatives.
Assisted living facilities offer seniors independence, community and care, as well as a round of activities that will keep them occupied and interested. Assisted living information can help families to plan out a secure future for their relatives, who can no longer live alone safely. With all these advantages, many people report being happier in retirement than they had thought possible. About a million Americans live in senior communities at the present time, and the number is expected to double by 2030.
