As a transition counselor and Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES), I am often asked to guide families in making the best decisions for the future care of themselves or their aging parents.There are many options for the ongoing transition, such as aging in place, independent and assisted living, adult day care centers, home health care providers, or moving back with families. Of course, many of these life changes also depend on the health of the senior both mentally and physically, the financial situation, and the reality of family commitments and involvement levels of all concerned.
What is the Human Lifespan? Calculating current life expectancy in the United States post-COVID is challenging due to skewed statistics from pandemic-related deaths and inconsistent global reporting.The oldest recorded person is Ms. Jeanne Louise Calment from France, who died in 1997 at 122 years and 164 days. The oldest known man is Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, who lived to 116 years and 54 days. Many scientists have pegged this as the upper limit of the human lifespan.*
On a personal note, I recall visiting several senior communities in the past and seeing the wall of plaques for those residents over 100 years of age. Now, these testimonials have been removed because there are too many residents who qualify for this category.
I counsel my clients to consider all of their options for their retirement years. Uprooting and moving back with family is not always the best choice.While it may seem like the easiest solution, it can often result in disappointment, isolation from long-term friends, and certainly is not "On Golden Pond."
One of my single retired clients, Alice, sold her condo and moved to Colorado to be closer to her son and grandchildren. She signed a one-year lease on a unit in the same neighborhood. Unfortunately, her son became involved with a younger woman, and while his divorce proceedings began, the estranged daughter-in-law did not encourage Alice's interactions with her grandchildren.
Alice felt disappointed and isolated. Her son, distracted by other factors, was considering moving with his new partner out of state to pursue a career opportunity.While a bit extreme, this is not uncommon.
Extended family can have their own issues, and as in Alice's case, her well-being was not the first priority.She was referred to me to help her resolve the situation. She wanted to move back to Florida and purchase a townhouse in an over-55 community with an active social agenda. Because of her rental in Colorado, she could not get out of the lease for seven months! She remained out there until the lease was near its end. We did find her a lovely new home that she purchased at the appropriate time.
While this vignette had a successful ending, it was a great burden both emotionally and financially for Alice.Many clients have shared with me similar situations where they found adjusting to their new living circumstances was not what they hoped for. Even with good intentions, things do not always turn out as planned. In my dual role, I recommend that all options be considered and evaluated. I advise exploring the best long-term options, recognizing that the move may not happen immediately. Plans should be carefully examined and flexible, allowing for adjustments to meet the evolving needs of seniors throughout the aging process.
*Gerontology Research Group (GRG), Wikipedia
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