In on-going debates about the benefits of moving to assisted living communities versus aging in place, emotions often get heated and judgmental attitudes often interfere with a strategic and thoughtful discussion about the pros and cons of both options.
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Aging in place supporters sometimes thumb their noses at any mention of “packing away our elders,” and the concept of moving them anywhere other than their own home or the home of loving relatives is often reviled. Adult children may be criticized for being selfish, uncaring, and ungrateful for everything that their parents have done and for institutionalizing and “abandoning” their parents, who are perceived to languish away their final years of life in “nursing homes,” lonely, depressed and not properly cared for by staff.
There is a case to be made for aging in place. If you are in great health and continue to be so, what better place is there than home? Being in your familiar setting surrounded by family is lovely if relatives get along and if your health is intact. Provided there is not an increasing need for various caretakers, your budget should remain relatively stable. And aging in place’s biggest pro is that you don’t have any major changes at a time in your life where you may want stay in place.
Supporters of transitioning to assisted living also have great arguments as well. When you move to an assisted living community, especially ones which have adjunct programs for people diagnosed with Dementia, you have the advantage of a prescribed plan where you don’t have to worry about what will happen when you age and become infirm. Of course, you may not want to transition at this stage of your life, but it will be your last major life transition and if something should happen you have the peace of mind of knowing that you will be taken care of by the best trained staff available to maintain the best quality of life. In terms of cost, 80% of healthcare costs in America are consumed by people over 65. Aging in place can become prohibitively expensive if you have to have multiple specialists come to your house, your schedule can become rigid if you spend an entire day planning the logistics of getting to various appointments and it can be time consuming to find the right providers.
Furthermore, when you choose a great quality assisted living communities with great activities your social life does not have to suffer if you see your doctor in-house in the middle of the day. Finally, staying in place as you age can be stressful to your family relationships if your relatives are stressed about your health and memory problems. Aging at an assisted living community can give your relatives peace of mind and the space to interact with you joyfully instead of in a stressful manner.
