They’re no longer there. The kids are all grown up and everyone has left. You’re already old and can’t afford all the energy involved with daily house maintenance, gardening and cooking. You need a place where you can get the most of life even at your senior age. This new living space should be able to manage most of your basic daily needs while leaving you to enjoy a more independent and fun-filled older life. You would get to interact with more same-age like-minded fellows and you’ll live even longer and more happily.
The answer is in the assisted living community. There are several assisted living communities that would fit your specifications and meet your desires.
But first of all, let’s consider this question.
What is Assisted Living?
Assisted living is a housing system for the elderly folk that specializes in providing medical, personal and physical care services for those senior persons who need individual attention. Assisted living must not be confused with nursing homes. Rather, they are residential communities with individual rooms or apartments each complete with its own kitchenettes or kitchen.
The assisted living community always provides laundry facilities, dining procedures, and a schedule of physical and psychosocial activities to keep its members up and doing. The professionals behind John Knox Village emphasize the need for state-of-the-art assisted living opportunities to help seniors live comfortably. They also help to cover a large number of your daily needs. Talk of dressing, medical care, transport, games, pets, and personal assistance; they’re exceptional.
The following are some other things you should know about assisted living.
The Pricing, The Contracts and The Conventions
Apart from the case of inflation in prices countrywide, the rent fees like every other rental option outside the assisted living space are never stable. You shouldn’t expect less here either. Several assisted living communities come with their own list of charges. It could be for room meal delivery if you prefer some privacy and don’t want to hop along to the dining hall whenever you feel hungry. They could increase your costs due to your choice of medical service and medication or if you’d be using the available means of transportation and communication.
Your apartment choice of course also affects your rent. The number of bathrooms you want in your apartment; the pets you would be bringing around; the parking space;’ the location of the facility and the availability of loans all affect the rent fees. You’ll also be charged separately for use of washers and dryers and all other high-power-consuming appliances.
When it comes to signing the community’s contracts, bar your children from signing on your behalf. The reason is that the community may take advantage of that and be oppressive to your children by the time you run out of money to settle your bills. There are things you can do that are still better and safer. Sign your name as the one fully responsible for all payments as shown on the contract. Also, include the name of an agent acting as an attorney. This is very necessary. Then of course input the date of signing.
You are in a community that has its presiding rules and conventions. You could be found guilty and be kicked out at just about any time. They could find behavioral issues that they can’t tolerate. It could also be that they are no longer able to cater to your rising health and physical demands.
Whichever the case, always peruse the contracts to be fully aware of the conditions for which you could be expelled so you could be more mindful.
Availability Of Permanent Medical Doctor
You won’t find assisted living centers with their own medical doctor as staff. Who doesn’t know the importance of having one, but most can’t afford the payment or don’t see the need for having one. The best you could get is one or two registered nurses to attend to people with minor issues. Even with that, only a handful of assisted living centers have them.
If you think you would be needing the services of a doctor every now and then, you should make sure to find a center that is very close to a hospital where you can get registered to receive the doctor’s visit and/or attention with ease as the need may arise.
Availability Of Fitness Programs
While some other elderly folk may not bother, it is a helpful thing for you to choose assisted living with superb fitness and physical development programs. Who would claim they aren’t aware of the life benefits?
When you integrate into a community that has invested in top-grade programs that see the fitness development of each member, you will have less worry over declining health, mental and physical well-being because they won’t ever come.
Finally, don’t sign the contract to stay in an assisted living community if you won’t have the financial capacity to maintain your stay in the foreseeable future. Also, go for an “aging in place” center. You’re probably all straight and can walk well on all twos perfectly now, but what if your mobility suffers unexpectedly due to an illness or an accident. Does the community have accessible wheelchairs? Check these and others before finally going for assisted living.