Retirement homes are not always perceived as they should be. Most often we see them as a helping hand when our family member doesn’t have any other solutions, while those family members in need often see retirement homes as a way for us to get rid of them and put them away.
The truth behind this is a lot different. Retirement homes have their purpose and they serve it well. Sometimes you are in dire need of assistance with your elderly members and that assistance can come from professionals. There are two types of institutions that offer this type of help – hospitals and retirement homes. If your mother, father, or any of the grandparents isn’t feeling bad enough to be in the hospital then they need professionals from retirement homes to take care of them.
Besides the health issues retirement homes and assisted living garden city also serves as a way for you to take care of your elderly in another way about which you can read more here. There is an establishment that offers full accommodation for the elderly with things like laundry services, meals prepared according to their health requirements and prescribed diets, social, recreational, and other activities, and transportation to local medical activities. All of these things can be done by you as well but sometimes we are in so much work and such a time crunch that you can’t manage to do everything. This is why these types of establishments are more than beneficial for both you and your elderly.
Let’s elaborate on this a bit and in that, we will answer the question from the title of the article.
In life, you have things going well for you and you have things that are going not so well. Our health and our fate sometimes play a trick on us and individuals that were once professors at prestige colleges, pilots, metal workers, and doctors suddenly can’t take care of themselves anymore, can’t remember their names, where they put things, can’t move or cook for themselves. This is where retirement homes and nursing homes come in.
These establishments are run by professionals and they are filled with staff that have a licence to take care, treat, and socialise with the retirees. These men and women are there for your service and they will do anything to see you get better, accommodate you faster and help you each step throughout the day. Running this type of facility isn’t easy as well. There are plenty of things you need to take care of.
Having well-trained and certified staff is just one part of running a retirement home. You need to prepare each space, each room and every part of the facility according to certain laws and regulations. You need to have toilets, private rooms and common rooms prepared for those that can walk and those that can. You need to have cooks and food prepared according to everyone’s diets prescribed by their doctors, you need to have doctors and nurses on call, especially for those that need extra care and medication. There are plenty of things here that are imperative and that many nursing homes do more than good.
As far as age goes it is highly debatable. There are retirement homes and caregiving homes for both young and the elder. Some people decide to go there very soon and at a younger age while others wait to deplete all possible options and then when there is no way out, decide to go to a nursing or retirement home. By some calculations and research, the average age that an individual decides to move to a retirement home is between 75 and 84 years.
It is also worth noting that this is a somewhat crucial time in anyone’s life when you probably aren’t what you used to be and when your ability to take care of yourself greatly diminishes. Most people with good health and all motor functions see that at around that age they don’t have the energy and will, sometimes, to do anything for themselves which is why they need help. This is probably the perfect age to move to a retirement home or a nursing home and have professionals and peers around you.
On the subject of peers, it is noteworthy to say that in nursing homes the chance for a better mood and better and faster recovery lies in friendships and communication. This is one thing that these establishments do very well. There are others there as well and according to the groups and tenants, these establishments prepare therapies, talking sessions, crafting, socialisation and other activities. Our elderly that are here truly have each day filled with something and they are almost always surrounded by someone who makes their days easier and passes a lot quicker.
Socialisation is really important because according to evolution and every research possible, a human being needs to have a social life. They need to talk, smile and have someone to be angry or sad with. These are things that help us keep our sanity and help days pass by. Our psyche is as important as our physical health which is why having company around is an awesome thing, and a having company that is your or around your age is even better.
There are plenty of testimonies where long lost friends and loves got reacquainted in nursing or retirement homes, there are stories of war buddies being reconnected after some time, and there are other stories that only speak well about these establishments as places where people don’t go to die, as this is the most popular opinion, but to live the rest of their life in dignity and surrounded by people.
As you could read, retirement homes, nursing homes and other similar establishments are necessary and good for society and individuals. They are a place of good health, and socialisation and a place where even at ages 75 to 85 some magic does happen. We also answered the question that was the one that interest you the most and we told you that there isn’t any certain age you can go to a retirement home. Some people got in at age 55-65, although a small portion and the majority gets there at age 75-85. It is mainly up to you, your health and the people around you.
