We do all the efforts to make our retirement comfortable and healthy. We value our independence and believe that our aging will be easier without any intervention. Usually, we focus on financial independence. But is it possible to live confidently in aging years without emotional support? What should you do for growing old w/o a family?
Needless to mention, aging affects your physical and mental ability. You will be constantly looking for emotional support. You would love to be surrounded by your family. We miss this important thing in our young years. We find ourselves confident and take care of financial health to making aging secure. But is it enough? No, financial stability will not help you to make your older years super healthy and comfortable.
You will have to do some other preparations. You will have complete freedom. At the same time, you will get the required support whenever you want to adjust to your aging needs. This article will prepare you for growing old w/o a family.
How to Prepare for Aging without A Family
This phase is well-described by experts as elder orphans. You are alone like a baby without a family. The only difference is that you are better prepared. You know what will happen next. Know the stages and plan every stage with careful attention. Here are the details.
Get the Right Place for Your Old Age
You have the complete freedom to make decisions on your life. Believe that you are self-sufficient to manage your health, finance, and emotional conditions. You do not need the support of your nearer ones. That’s why you decided to grow alone.
You are all set for the next stage of your life. Now, this is the time to assess your position in your community. You should know they are reliable or not. You might be taking the utmost care to ensure that you will age gracefully with good health. Try to find out all the options that can help you with long-term care. You will have to choose a nursing home depending on your financial strength. Compare the available homes to find out the most suitable option. Take the help of your attorney to prepare the documents and testaments.
Know the Interdependence Factor
A stage will come in your life when you will need help for some basic tasks including cleaning and other house chores. This stage might be difficult without a family member. You will be physically weak and cannot perform the basics. You can hire domestic help or caregivers for this purpose. Also consider group homes.
Now you will find many options in group homes. These are well-equipped and designed for aging adults. In group homes, you can expect clean rooms, laundry services, strict security, and decent meals. These homes are highly recommended since they can meet all your aging needs.
Find the Help
At this stage, you will need help with your daily activities such as bathing, preparing meals, dressing, cleaning, shopping, grooming, driving, and walking. This stage demands more care and attention. You can consider taking the help of a retirement community.
A retirement community will provide you all the required support at the stage of the dependence. They offer different types of facilities depending on the needs of the different types of people. You can get help for any of the above-mentioned stages.
Take Care of the Crisis Management
This stage makes you physically vulnerable. You will have to rely on healthcare professionals to take come care of some old age health issues. When you do not have a family or any other supportive factor, you will have to be financially stable to meet your medical expenses.
Also, this stage causes many health complications such as cognitive impairment that might affect your decision-making ability.
Focus on the Institutional Care
This is the last stage and you will need extensive personal and medical care. You can get this care from a hospice or nursing home. However, make sure that you have prepared a “durable medical power of attorney”. It will make the process legal.
These are a few things that can help you age gracefully without a family. You just need to ensure that you will not be alone at a stage when you need personal care and attention most.
