When Rural Living Becomes Too Difficult for Your Elderly Loved One
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Many Americans who are blessed to live in rural America are proud of where they live and love all of the amenities that come with living far away from the hustle and bustle of big cities. They enjoy cleaner air, quieter days, and often feel more in tune with the natural wonders around them. While the benefits of rural living are plenty and can be the perfect place for many families, if you have an elderly loved one who lives in a rural area by themself, you might begin to wonder if it’s still the safest place for them or would moving to an assisted living facility suite them better as they age.
Four Common Concerns Regarding Rural Living and the Elderly
Isolation
If your loved one lives alone, you might worry about their feeling too isolated and becoming lonely in their current living space. Many rural areas have homes that are widely spaced out, so even neighbors can be difficult to come by, and if family has moved away, your loved one may go days without seeing anyone. This can be especially true if their driving is limited or non-existent at this stage in their life.
Home and Property Care
A large home with acres to play on is a great place to raise a family, but once everyone has left the home, who is there to help your loved one manage her home and property? Some chores, like lawn mowing, can take hours, and multiple floors within a big home can create a lot of stairs to get from one room to the next. Many of these chores may become too taxing for your loved one.
Emergency Services
You might worry that if your loved one has an emergency while at home, they won’t be able to get the immediate care they need quickly enough. Sometimes it’s just a matter of minutes that can make the difference in a successful response to an emergency.
Specialty Care Resources
If your loved one has a health condition that requires specialty care and clinics geared specifically for her condition, it’s possible that her rural area will not have those resources, and they’ll need to travel long distances to receive the care they need.
The Benefits of Moving from Rural Living to Assisted Living
While your loved one might be concerned about all they’ll be giving up if they have to leave their home to move into an assisted living environment, they will also be gaining a lot of positive benefits from joining an assisted living community. Assisted Living is a wonderful way to ensure that your loved one has all that they need to stay safe, healthy, and happy.
Some benefits of moving into an assisted living community include:
Customized Health Care. If your loved one has medical conditions that need specialized care or diets, an assisted living facility can help them stay on track with the care they need, keeping them in better health and providing the support they need.
A Thriving Community. Your loved one will have plenty of people to interact with, socialize with, and attend events with so that they don’t feel isolated.
Built-in Safety Measures. With nurses around the clock and safety devices in all areas, you don’t need to worry about your loved one being alone if they need help.
If you think this might be the next step for your loved one, talk to them today to help them plan for tomorrow.
