Aging in place — staying in a family home as one ages, safely and regardless of ability — comes with a wealth of benefits. It can help seniors retain their independence for as long as possible. Staying in familiar surroundings can minimize confusion and offer comfort. And it can be a convenient and cost-effective option for some seniors and their families compared to other scenarios.
Another significant benefit of aging in place is that it helps seniors preserve and sustain their social connections. By staying in a familiar home, seniors can retain relationships with neighbours and other members of the community. They can see friends, loved ones and family members whenever they wish and not exclusively during the (often limited) social hours of live-in care facilities.
These benefits apply to seniors who have been diagnosed with a disease like Dementia, too. If their family members aren’t close by, or their family isn’t able to care for them around the clock, help can come from a live-in caregiver. These professionals allow seniors to stay in the family home and maintain the comfort that comes from seeing the same neighbours, mailperson, garden, park or other familiar faces and sites.
Highly trained, live-in caregivers like those at Integracare Home Care can provide care as needed or 24/7. In addition to meeting their clients’ physical and practical needs, they also deliver familiarity, compassion, and companionship to the seniors in their care. Over time, live-in caregivers develop special bonds with their clients after spending so much quality time together.
However a senior chooses to age in place — be it with help from family members or a professional caregiver. The social connectivity it offers can be crucial for their mental and physical wellbeing.
Aging in Place Can Help Preserve Mental Health
Some seniors may experience anxiety or depression. The loss of friends and loved ones, loss of employment, declining or ill health, or feeling like they’re losing their independence can all contribute to feelings of unhappiness.
Having frequent connectivity with familiar faces can go a long way toward preserving positive mental health. Staying home allows seniors to participate in special gatherings, like holidays and other family events, as they would have in years gone by. It helps them maintain usual routines, like weekly bingo at the local community hall.
Comfortable and familiar morning greetings and chats with neighbours, holding onto weekly or monthly social commitments. Moreover, being able to participate in special occasions can mitigate potential feelings of loneliness, isolation, or missing out; life continues as usual for as long as possible.
Further, ageing in place empowers some seniors to broaden their social circle should they wish to. Whether this is with the help of a caregiver or alone. Research has shown that making new connections later in life can improve mental health. In a 2019 study in The Journals of Gerontology, researchers discovered that “older adults who interacted with people beyond their usual social circle of family and close friends were more likely to have higher levels of physical activity, greater positive moods, and fewer negative feelings.”
It Can Keep Seniors Active
By having a happier mental state, seniors are more likely to have the motivation to participate in physical activities. And by aging at home, seniors will likely have a wider selection of invitations and opportunities for getting outdoors or participating in other physical activities.
A walk around the block with a neighbour or caregiver, gardening in a shared allotment or private yard. Senior swim times with friends at the local pool. Moreover, yoga mornings at the community centre with a regular group are all excellent examples of social activities. That seniors can continue when they age in place.
The Takeaway on Aging in Place
Aging in place offers familiarity, independence, routine, and comfort while empowering seniors to hold onto social connections. Further, each of these benefits is hugely advantageous to a senior’s mental and physical health.
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