2 signs that your elderly parent might be happier living in a retirement village
There are some signs that your elderly parent might be happier living in a retirement village than in their current home. Continue reading to learn more about these signs.
1. They frequently complain about feeling lonely
Many elderly people experience bouts of severe loneliness after they retire. This is often the result of them no longer having the opportunities to socialise with co-workers on a daily basis, and because their own adult children are busy raising families of their own. If your elderly parent often says that they are lonely, it is worth asking them if they might prefer to live in an assisted living environment.
The reason for this is that loneliness can often lead to the development of depression, which can have a serious impact on a person's quality of life. If your parent were to move to an apartment in a retirement village, they would be surrounded by people who are at the same stage of life as them and could easily pop over to their neighbours whenever they felt like socialising.
Furthermore, those who manage retirement villages often organise social activities for the residents, such as dance classes, bingo events and film nights. This would allow your parent to socialise with others who share the same interests as them. The proximity of other elderly people, coupled with the regular social events held in the village, should help your parent to feel far less lonely, even during periods when you do not have time to visit them.
2. They are struggling to stay on top of their household chores
As a person ages, they often find it increasingly difficult to keep on top of their household chores. There are many reasons for this, including health conditions that reduce their mobility, age-related dementia and a reduction in energy and physical strength. If your parent is starting to find it difficult to maintain a clean and tidy home, as a result of this, their property is messy and disorganised, they may find themselves feeling unhappy as a result of this issue.
Their inability to keep on top of the laundry, for example, could lead to them not having enough clean clothes to wear. Similarly, if their lack of mobility makes it hard for them to use a hoover, they may have to simply put up with a crumb and dust-covered floor.
In this situation, your parent would probably be far happier if they were to move to a property within a retirement village. The reason for this is that assisted living facilities often have staff members that help elderly residents to maintain their homes. For example, a lot of these facilities have both laundry and house-cleaning services available for their residents to use.
These services could make all the difference to how content and at ease your parent feels in their own home.
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