Housing Options When You Can’t Live at Home

Everyone wants to live out their days in their own home. It’s painful to think about being placed in an assisted living or dying in a hospital. The thought of leaving behind the comforts of home and losing independence is overwhelming. Sometimes staying at home simply isn’t an option. 

The biggest reason for needing outside care is safety. 

As we age, we may lose mental capacity or simply become frail and unable to manage our independence. We become at risk for falling or other injuries, which makes it too risky to be a home. Sometimes a medical event requires therapies to bounce back and regain mobility or other skills. Isolation is also a concern. Being alone too much can affect social skills and mental health. Being in an environment with peers and activities can prolong and enrich life. 

If you or someone you love is showing the signs that they can no longer live at home, it might be time to consider options. Here are some common options for housing when you can’t live at home. 

Retirement communities- Some retirement communities are single-family homes in a condensed geographic area. Others are apartments or combined housing units with centralized services. These communities are geared towards an active lifestyle but rely on members being relatively independent. If you have been living in a large home with high-maintenance it might be a next step to downsize to a retirement community. 

Assisted living communities- An assisted living community offers more services than a retirement community. This may include providing meals in a central location as well as housekeeping and other services. Assisted living communities may assist in shopping, doctors’ appointments, or social activities off site. Generally, members of an assisted living community are ambulatory and able to make informed decisions about their care. They are able to come and go from the community of their own free will. 

Skilled nursing facilities- A skilled nursing facility is staffed by nurses and other staff members to assist residents with daily living activities. They are generally dependent on staff for assistance in multiple areas of self care including, but not limited to, medication management, access to health care and help with bathing, dressing, and accessing activities. Residents tend to live in community with one another inside one general space such as a room, shared room, or small studio-type apartment. 

Dementia care facilities- These facilities are designed with safety and compassion in mind. These types of facilities have a larger staff to resident ratio and most residents rely on staff for assistance with every area of life. From toileting to accessing food and medication, a dementia care facility is helpful for residents who need full care outside of their home. 

If the time comes that you can no longer be at home, there are multiple options to support you or someone you love. Research the types of communities in your area and make sure your finances and plans are geared towards funding the option that best suits your needs.  

Why Wait to Experience Your Bucket List?

The term bucket list refers to experiences someone would like to have before they pass away or kick the bucket. Glorified in movies, generally a bucket list is completed by terminally ill people who are painfully aware of the fragility and short period of time we are alive. Most folks wander in a haze of work and family, putting things they would love to do off for a magical time when they will have:

  • More money
  • More time
  • More freedom
  • More opportunities 

They are blissfully unaware of the realities that there is no guarantee that you will live outside of this very moment– in an instant it might be over. 

Why wait to experience your bucket list? There’s no time like right now to live as if you were dying because the fact is… we are all dying from the moment we are born. 

What’s on your bucket list? 

Your bucket list should include the things- both great and small– that matter to you and your personal interests. Here are some prompts to get you stared: 

  • Places you want to see
  • Experiences you want to have
  • People you want to meet
  • Foods you want to try
  • Activities you want to engage in
  • People you want to impact
  • Ways you want to make a difference

Wow, that’s a hefty list right there. 

What would it take to check things off your list? 

Your bucket list should be a mixture of things you could do easily if you took the time and made them a priority co-mingled with things you want to do that take effort, planning, and stretch you. What would it take to accomplish some of the things off your list? How about these ideas: 

  • Research an activity or interest 
  • Start a bucket list Pinterest board
  • Start a savings account or envelope for a bucket list experience
  • Join a group or club doing an activity on your list
  • Make a reservation and set a date for an adventure
  • Take action and simply dive in

It doesn’t take a whole lot more than intention to get started experiencing the things you want to be, do, see, and have before you die. 

Life is fleeting so it doesn’t make sense to put off until tomorrow all the fun you could be having today! Create and experience your bucket list early on and don’t wait for the future to enjoy life’s opportunities.