Three Key Indicators to Determine What Age To Move Into A Retirement Community
It’s not easy to see our parents struggling with all of the challenges that come along with aging. More than anything, you want what’s best for them emotionally and physically. You’ve probably wondered if you should consider a retirement community when deciding where to retire as they age.
Wondering What Age To Move Into A Retirement Community?
But how do you know when a parent should move into a retirement community? The fact is that there is no magic age for when a senior should consider making this decision.
Some seniors may be successfully independent at age 80 with a simple precaution like an alert system and the additional help of a housekeeper. However, a younger senior with serious health problems might struggle to keep up with basic care like personal hygiene and nutrition. In that case, they may need the additional assistance that the best retirement communities offer.
Deciding Where To Retire Depends on These Three Key Indicators
It’s not as much about what age to move into a retirement community as it is about your parent’s ability to live independently. When evaluating your situation while helping your parents decide where to retire, you might want to consider three areas to determine if it’s time for your parent to move into assisted living: nutrition, self-care, and household safety.
Nutrition
- Is your parent keeping fresh and healthy food in the pantry and refrigerator?
- Are they eating regularly and maintaining a healthy weight?
- Are they able to prepare simple meals?
Self-Care
- Are they able to keep up with laundry (e.g., wearing clean clothes when you visit)?
- Are they able to maintain basic hygiene?
- Are they managing their medications and health issues independently? (Finding expired, unused medications is a sign that they’re not.)
Household Safety
- Are they remembering to turn off kitchen appliances after using them (e.g., the stove)?
- Are they able to navigate their home safely?
- Are you seeing signs of falls like unexplained bruises or other injuries?
- Do they have safety features installed in their home (e.g., a shower handle bar)?
- Do they have a way to call for emergency help if they need it?
- Can they live entirely on the first floor of their home? (If their bedroom is upstairs, they are at higher risk for serious, life-threatening falls.)
If you answered no to many of these questions, it might be time to begin a conversation with your parent about choosing a new retirement location.
The best retirement communities can give your parents a significant amount of independence while also ensuring that they are eating well, maintaining personal care and hygiene, and staying safe. When all of these factors are considered, in many cases, a retirement community can provide them with a better quality of life than what they are experiencing in their current home.
Plan Your Visit
The decision to move into a retirement home is a huge life change, and we know it’s not an easy one to make. We invite you to visit one of our senior living communities in Pennsylvania to see for yourself the high-quality community we offer our residents. A visit can help you see the benefits your parents can experience in their new home. Contact us today to set up an appointment at one of our South Central Pennsylvania locations.