”Summertime…and the livin’ is easy….”
So goes the song. And so should go retirement living. The research
on the different kinds of retirement living affirms this attitude, revealing
that statistically, for example, those who live in retirement communities live
longer than those who don’t. Maybe it’s time, then, to consider
the pros and cons.
The Pros of Retirement Living in Communities
1. As noted above living in a community means living longer.
2. More activity in a retirement community means healthier spirit through
connecting with like-minded folks and means, as other studies show, better chances
of preventing early dementia. For example, challenging yourself with mind
games and mentally stimulating activities wards off such senior-related illnesses
as Altzheimer’s.
3. Many of us forget to eat well as we get older, especially when we live
alone with no reminders and no one to cook for us what we might not care to
cook for ourselves. Retirement communities typically provide meals (at
least one) that are nutritionally balanced and therefore make contribution to
our physical well-being.
4. The typical community living facility includes medical, on-call, and/or
emergency medical services that we who live alone might not have access to on
a regular basis.
5. The typical community living environment comes equipped and staffed
with tools and people to maintain and repair what we ourselves might not have
the resources and abilities to repair. So even getting a light bulb changed
is now done without our having to give much thought to who to call, how to get
the damned thing changed as soon as possible, and how much it will cost us to
get someone to make the trip.
The Cons of Retirement Living in Communal Homes
The negative side to doing retirement living with others is up to you.
If you can’t afford the costs, the pinch might not be worth it, regardless
of how appealing or regardless of how much longer we live in community retirement
homes. And if you can’t stand living with others, prefer to be left
alone and not fussed over too much, you may choose to stay at home or with familiar
people…where the retirement living is easy. Or easier.
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