The elderly population is a growing one, especially here in the United States. After all, the Baby Boomer generation is getting older, with more and more people joining the ranks of the elderly with each passing year. As a matter of fact, the data is in support of this as well, showing that, by the time that we reach the now not so far off year of 2040, there will be more than 14 million people living in this country who have reached or even surpassed the age of 85. And the overall elderly population, those who have reached or surpassed the age of 65, will be, of course, even larger. In fact, there are even half of a 100,000 people in this country who have reached the age of 100 or more, a full century of life.
And these people have needs that must be met. Care needs become more intensive as people grow older, both for mental care and physical care alike. For many people, health care needs will also become more intensive, as various chronic conditions only become more and more commonplace with age. Fortunately, there are places like assisted living facilities that help to facilitate these needs. In various assisted living facilities and senior housing, care can be given around the clock. In cases of dementia, for instance, such care is likely to be very necessary indeed and can help to improve the quality of life not just for the elderly person in question, but for his or her friends and family members as well, people who would likely otherwise fall into the role of caretaker.
But not every elderly person is in need of an assisted living facility or round the clock care. In fact, up to 90% of all older people want to try to live in their own home for as long as it is possible. Independence is hugely important to many people, and is most certainly not something to be discounted. It is not for nothing that up to one fifth of all people are still working full time by the time that they reach their elderly years. Living alone is, for many elderly people, very possible and safe for a considerable amount of time.
But such elderly people still might want to consider moving to a senior living community. After all, the average senior living community is very different indeed from a nursing home. A senior living community still allows for independent housing and independent living, but can provide help when help is necessary – and only then, still allowing for a great deal of autonomy. And a senior living community can even be a good thing for many elderly people, as living in a senior living community, where everyone must be at least 55 in the vast majority of cases, can help you to make friends and find meaningful ways to fill your time post retirement, something that can most certainly be difficult for many people once they have left the working world after so many years involved in it.
For instance, volunteer opportunities are commonly filled by elderly people, many living in a senior living community. As a matter of fact, at least half of all elderly adults are participating in some type of volunteer work as of the current date. And more and more people are participating in more than one volunteer opportunity. Retirement is, for a great many people, an amazing chance to give back to the communities they live in, as well as to the world at large. Volunteer work, many find, is a productive way to fill their time indeed and is something that they will likely continue to do into the future years, as long as they are able.
At the end of the day, there are many reasons that living in a senior living community is ideal for many a senior citizen. For many people, it’s a great alternative to having to run a house, but it still provides the autonomy and independence that is not available in the typical nursing home. For senior citizens who still want to be active and engaged members of their community, the typical senior living community can be ideal.