Do you want to know the most important factor in having a happy retirement? No, it’s not lots of money, although that helps. It’s actually maintaining one’s good health that determines the quality of their retirement, as 81% of surveyed retirees agreed. But ‘good’ is subjective, and in terms of health, and especially aging, that descriptor can begin to mean different things to different people. You are in luck though: there are some main points doctors and psychologists can agree lead to overall health and wellness in one’s golden years.
Don’t Let Chronic Illness Get You Down.
A debilitating illness is a fear shared by many as they age. We know our mobility and flexibility will gradually decrease as the years go by. But an illness is alarming. Dementia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, osteoporosis, and more are associated with getting older. People wonder who could care for them. In one study conducted by Genworth Financial, 55% of survey participants admitted that they are more afraid (by five times!) of becoming a burden to their loved ones than of actually dying. It is easy to see where priorities lie.
If Not Family, Then Who Can Possibly Be a Caretaker?
The idea of regularly relying on strangers for one’s care may make many people uncomfortable, and they shouldn’t be. Assisted living facilities have been around for a long time, and their aim is to help their resident’s enjoy themselves through reliable care, supervision, community, and activities. Many adults balk at the idea that they need to be supervised. But that is precisely a fear that many soon-to be retirees and current retirees have, that they may need immediate assistance someday and no one will be there.
What Is An Assisted Living Facility?
So an assisted living facility, or at least an excellent one, will be able to supervise residents. But they do so much more in terms of health. As mentioned earlier, mobility decreases as we age. Simple tasks that used to never bother us begin to take longer and become more difficult to complete, such as shopping, cleaning, etc. In assisted living facilities, these routine tasks are completed by someone else. They are no longer your responsibility.
So we answered, “what is assisted living?”, but must not forget that assisted living facilities are also,essentially, retirement centers. Every resident is retired, and should be enjoying this time as much as they are able. Psychologists have found that the happiest retirees participate in at least three activities each week. It helps to have regular social interactions to maintain wellness, which as we know, leads to happiness.