We all hope against hope that we will have complete mobility and total mental clarity
well into our old age but the fact is that with people living longer that is unlikely. Truth is it is mostly great that we get to live longer. We spend more time with people we love and share our wisdom and history with younger and younger people, from grandchildren to great grandchildren. These moments were mostly unthinkable for our grandparents and even possibly unthinkable for our parents but here we are growing older with a certain amount of grace and a tremendous amount to offer in the realm of life experience.
The reality of all of this is an increase in the amount of people who will eventually have to utilize the care and services of rehab centers and nursing home therapy. I was lucky enough to know my great grandmother and she eventually found herself in a nursing home to keep up with dialysis treatment and ensure that she not fall. I was glad such a place existed. A place that would provide us with weekly visits and would ensure that she was safe and surrounded by lovely people in her age group with similar dispositions. The experience helped to demystify the nursing homes for me. I saw my great grandmother in her eighties not just sinking comfortably into the nursing home setting but enjoying the attention, the care and the camaraderie. It was if those last few years at home had been isolating and lonely and her new found friendships were a fresh burst of life.
Daily exercising and nursing home therapy meant my great grandmother had become more energetic than ever. I was able to watch as she enjoyed her final years. Something I may have otherwise never expected given her previous disposition. As her life wound down my great grandmother was in amazing spirits. She had come to terms with where her life was and her needs for the attentive care of a nursing home, but she also had the wherewithal to enjoy her remaining time.
When you begin to consider your late in life arrangements or those of your parents do not fear the potential of a nursing home. When you arrive you may be uneasy and nervous but an accredited place will likely provide you with a number of quality years with real care and a chance to continue being an active part of your family. You get, in a way, a new lease on life.