Determine If You Are Ready to Move to a Continuing Care Retirement Community
A continuing care retirement community will allow you to have the assistance that you need, and yet you still have the freedom that you enjoy. Knowing how to determine if you are ready to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) can be tricky if are not inclined to make changes easily. A retirement community may be the perfect fit for you, though, if you are starting to require more care than you used to in the past.
Steps
- Consider CCRC if you or your spouse require more care than the other can give each other.
- Make the move to CCRC if your doctor recommends it. You or your spouse may have a condition that requires more medical attention than you or the other is able to give each other. This could include driving trips to the doctor's office, changing medical dressing, preparing nutritious enough food and/or administering medication.
- Take into consideration the social aspect of CCRC living. Most facilities offer sports amenities like billiards, shuffleboard and/or a pool, and many offer organized group activities to help entertain you and assist you in making and keeping friends.
- Move to a CCRC if you have any fears about living by yourself and/or living with and caring for a spouse on your own.
- Living by yourself and/or feeling overwhelmed about caring for your spouse can lead to depression. Keep your spirits high by joining a community of like-minded people with whom you can have fun with and with whom you can be sociable.
- Don't let fear rule your life. You shouldn't be afraid to answer your door or look out the windows at night. So if you have fears stemming from not being able to protect yourself, you should consider CCRC living.
- If your fears are coming from not feeling comfortable leaving your spouse home alone while you run errands or get out of the house for a bit, CCRC may be a good fit. You can have him participate in group activities while you run your errands or take care of what you need.
- Ask yourself if your own home is becoming a hazard. If you worry about tripping up or down the steps or falling in the bathtub, it may be time to consider CCRC.
- Think about your transportation needs. If you are no longer able to or have the desire to drive, a CCRC may be a good fit for you as most offer transportation to and from necessary activities such as grocery shopping and/or the doctor's office.
- Determine how far away your family is and how large your support system is. If you don't have family that visits you on a regular basis each week, it may be time to think about taking advantage of the social interaction and assistance a CCRC facility can give you.
Tips
- Advance easily to a skilled nursing home or assisted living wing of a facility if you feel that you require more care than you can get by living independently. If you are already on property, the move and/or transition should be easy.
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