Growing Older Happens…
The book “Mom, Dad… Can We Talk”, is a book that has many perspectives about how to make the best choices for our aging parents. This book is written by Dick Edwards, who is a retired Mayo Clinic Eldercare Specialist. One of the main points in his book is about growing older and what that looks like.
Growing Older:
Growing older has been part of the life cycle since the beginning of time. This is something that you cannot control and affects you both mentally and physically. There have been studies that have shown that the current life expectancy for adults in the United States is around 79.9 years.
“I noticed when my parents stopped trying to stay young, they began to enjoy growing older.”
Your aging parents are a gift that need to be cherished. Many people feel as they get older, they lose their sense of independence. As their adult children, it may be time to lend a helping hand and give back to your loved ones. The main goal is to help your parents age with dignity and respect.
When it comes to senior living communities, sometimes there is a biased opinion on how others view the lifestyle choice. After all, couldn’t the aging parent stay at home, and use his or her free time and/or get assistance to do the daily household tasks? What we may forget is that completing these responsibilities grow more difficult as we age. These tasks may even cause increased anxiety for our love ones as they try to do the accomplish tasks at the speed, strength, and time they once were able to accomplish them. TV ad’s often show loved ones sitting next to their aging families members enjoying each others company. The reality is that often times these parents are at home alone waiting for a visitor. Taking in these realities; of declining abilities, socialization and a simpler lifestyle, is where many aging parents and adult children see senior living communities as a wonderful choice. Senior living communities are a safe, interactive space for your loved ones. Here at Woodstone Senior Living, your day is as filled as you want. Want to see a movie? Venture down to the deluxe movie theatre or join one of the many activities the Community Life Coordinator has scheduled for the day. You have the freedom to make your choices, manage your own time and add the level of interactions you want. You have complete control of your lifestyle without the commitment of household tasks and responsibilities. This way, you or your loved one can enjoy the aging process without the anxiety of home ownership responsibilities and safety concerns.
There becomes a point in time where there are two options to pick from. The first is deciding if you want to implement care at home for your loved ones or transition them into a senior living community. This can be a difficult conversation to have with your loved one but if approached correctly, most find that their loved ones are more comfortable with the topic than what they would’ve expected. Instead of this being a negative experience, you should be celebrating with your loved one how much they’ve accomplished in their life so far. This is their time to enjoy life knowing they have the support and independence they need to feel safe each day.
One of the most surprising facts is when the children are asking their parents what their future plans look like. In reality, their parents have already thought every scenario through and have a plan. Nearly every person ages differently so to have a set idea of what this will look like for your parents is not a great idea.
Yes, there are many benefits of aging!
Retirement
Retirement is something that most people look forward to the most in life. Essentially, you work your whole life to become financially stable enough to enjoy yourself and your loved ones. Not everyone retires at the same age but most retire around the age of 65. Not having the stress of working eight or more hours a day gives you a sense of freedom and allows you to do things that you didn’t have the opportunity to do before.
Grandchildren/ Family
Grandchildren are something that parents always look forward to having once their own children become older. Being a grandparent is such a gift and can overall improve the quality of life. Instead of being in the parent position, you get to enjoy the children without having the parenting responsibilities.
Volunteering
Since most retire at the age of 65, they now have more free time. They are able to give their time to something that they have a passion for. Most of the time, they also want to give back to their community and to make it a better place.
Hobbies
Everyone has hobbies that they enjoy but most people don’t have the time to do them. They are usually busy raising a family, working full-time and truly don’t get to do the things that they love. Once your loved ones are retired, they now have the extra time to learn new skills and focus on something new.
Wisdom
Depending upon the occupation that your loved one had, they come with a lot of knowledge and experience. They have gained insight that they can share with others around them. There was an article that was revealed which showed seniors that were asked to give their advice on how they resolve conflicts. All of them demonstrated a high degree of awareness and empathy compared to the other age groups.
Relaxation
After working full time and dealing with all of the chaos that comes along with it, relaxation is something that you’ve earned. Once retired, you now have the opportunity to decide what you want to do with your day. You can choose to play, work or even do absolutely nothing at all!
Even though there are many benefits of aging, there also comes a point in time where your loved ones need assistance with some daily tasks. Here at Woodstone, we are here to help with your loved one no matter what stage they are at in life.
Best,
Danielle Morrow
Marketing Specialist