How long can seniors stay in their own homes? This is a question that both seniors and their families would like to know.
When seniors can stay at home for the rest of their lives, it would be the best that they or anyone else could hope for.
There are some seniors, who are able to live to a very old age and some go to other care facilities. However, to determine how long they can stay in their own homes, you would need to evaluate how mentally and physically healthy they are.
No one wants to force seniors from their homes. However, they are going to be safer if they move to an assisted living facility, nursing home, or other facility if they can no longer take care of themselves.
How Seniors Can Stay Mentally and Physically Healthy
Move Around – They should not become idol, or turn into a couch potato. Moving around is great for their circulation and keeps their muscles strong and limber.
Exercise – Exercise is the key to weight loss and a healthy heart and body. Low impact aerobic exercises are easy on seniors joints and they work their heart muscle, too.
Seniors are almost never too old for weight lifting exercises, either. Weights will keep their body firm and their muscles strong.
Diet – If your elderly loved one wants to stay physically healthy, they’ve got to diet and watch theirweight.
Options for Senior Housing
The process of choosing the correct type of housing is essential. There are numerous housing options for seniors, and depending on the city or state you live in, there may be even more choices than those listed here.
However, these are usually available in all 50 states across the U.S.
Assisted Living Facilities – A good way to describe assisted living facilities is to think about how seniors live independently and how seniors living in nursing homes. Assisted living facilities fall somewhere in between.
Most assisted living facilities, such as Applewood Our House, provide residents with complete meals and have a professional team available around the clock.
There are laundry and recreational services available, and there is staff available to help with dressing, bathing, and other daily care. Even though assisted living facilities don’t have a full medical staff on hand, they do provide transportation to doctor’s appointments and help to pick up prescription drug medications.
Senior Communities – You will find various housing options that are independent and that provide additional supportive services to seniors, which include senior apartments, which are in an all-adult community that caters to senior citizens only. These are like any other apartments you might find in any city, but you won’t find kids running around, and they usually offer recreational areas for their residents.
Government Funded Housing – Another option for senior housing is H.U.D., which is the office of Housing and Urban Development. It provides housing for lower income seniors.
Generally, this only provides housing, but not any extra care for seniors. It’s a way of providing a place for seniors, who cannot afford other types of senior housing.
In addition, if you qualify for Medicaid, you can be reimbursed for some of the costs of independent facilities in some states. If that is not available in your state, then you will be required to pay for the cost of nursing home care and room and board.
Seniors Staying in Their Own Homes
The most important part of seniors being able to stay in their own homes is their safety. This becomes more of a concern when the elderly are alone.
If your loved one is living alone, you need to have someone check up on them daily to see how they are doing. There are also many emergency alert devices on the market that connect seniors directly to fast response paramedics and doctors.
They can be in touch at the click of a button, and there’s no need to get to a phone and dial 911.
If seniors are staying with family, they will want to keep as much of their private space as possible. However, you need to make sure that you check up on them often.
Your elderly loved one should be able to stay in their home as long as they are healthy enough. However, they might become stubborn if the day comes that they need more assistance than anyone in your home can provide them.
How Long Can Seniors Stay in Their Own Homes – Conclusion
Seniors can remain in their homes as long as they are able to. If you need help, remember that assisted living facilities, nursing homes, adult communities, and other senior housing options are available for you. If you still want to learn more about placement options for seniors, Our Stepping Stones helps families find the proper care center for their elderly loved ones. You can also call Malou van Eijk, at : +3039569037 for additional information.
That’s cool that assisted living communities will have a team of people to help the seniors stay as healthy as possible. I like the idea of my dad being well-fed ad taken care of so that’s good to know. I’ll have to consider getting him an assisted living home if he gets too old to take care of himself.