Two misconceptions about retirement living facilities

Below are a couple of the biggest misconceptions about retirement living facilities that far too many retirees believe.

The residents of these facilities have no privacy

People who have never visited retirement living communities often believe that those who reside in these places have very little privacy. Some of them imagine it to be laid out like a hospital ward, where residents stay in rooms that any of the staff can wander into whenever they want. Retirees who are at a point where they need some extra help on a daily basis but who believe in this completely inaccurate notion of what a retirement facility looks like might shudder at the thought of moving to such a place.

In reality, most retirement facilities offer their residents ample privacy. Those who move to these facilities normally have their own lockable apartment that no one else can enter without their permission (unless a serious emergency is occurring). Staff members who provide the cleaning or meal prep services will always tell residents of their intention to visit their apartments and will not barge in when they do so but will knock and only enter if the resident wants them to. In short, it is largely up to the residents to decide how much support they accept and how much interaction they have with the staff and other retirees. Moving to this kind of facility does not mean that an elderly person has to give up their privacy or control over their life.

Once a person moves into this facility, they stay there for the remainder of their life

The other big myth about retirement living communities is that people who move to them always end up staying there until they pass away. Whilst many residents do end up living out their remaining years in these facilities (because, for example, they feel content and safe in these places), plenty of them do not.

For example, a retiree might choose to move to a retirement community after becoming a widow and feeling a bit isolated but might end up meeting someone else a few years later and deciding to move to a different residence with their new partner. Likewise, some seniors move to retirement living properties after their adult children emigrate but decide to go and live with their son or daughter when he or she returns to the country several years later. Ultimately, it is up to each resident how long they stay in their facility.

To learn more, contact a retirement living facility.


Share