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Sheltered Living ~
A Safe Accommodation Haven for Our Elderly Folks
It’s never easy watching your parents, or grandparents, become frailer by the day as their health declines.
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It’s difficult to see them begin to need help to accomplish simple everyday tasks. It’s sad to see them become worryingly forgetful.
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However, it’s important that you don’t let your own emotions cloud what’s best for them.
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Many seniors aren’t ill enough to need being cared for full-time in a nursing home. Such elderly people can opt instead for sheltered living if they like the fact that someone’s keeping an eye on them. But what is sheltered living?
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What is Sheltered Living?
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Care In The Community
For the majority of older people, uprooting themselves from somewhere familiar they’ve lived for a long time can be traumatising.
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This decision and the actual move itself can send many into a tail-spin and downright depression.
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However, once they’ve settled down into a sheltered accommodation, they might find that life is not so bad.
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First, they may start to enjoy the fact that they see someone, be it the site manager, warden, the repair man, nurses or other residents, at least once a day.
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Living in sheltered housing still means having your own independence. The elderly person generally resides in a flat or bungalow on a friendly, cheerful estate where the average age is around sixty. They can have their own space and can either choose to rent or buy a property.
Contrary to what many people think, sheltered housing doesn’t always mean small! Yes, bedsits are available but so are two-, or even three-bedroom houses. So if your Mum, or Dad, feels nervous downsizing, remind them that they’ll still have plenty of room in their new accommodation.
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A Helping Hand
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Sheltered living properties are created with the needs of older people in mind. If you’re looking at a new residential estate, you can view plans which include specific facilities.
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These facilities focus on aged care interior design features like walk-in showers, lower counter tops, bigger electric sockets and wider hallways for wheelchair users.
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There’s also a phone system that’s linked to a personal alarm service. So if the elderly person requires emergency assistance, they can press the help button or the fob most residents choose to wear.
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Do make sure that you get to know the house warden. They’re often your first point of contact if any issues arise. It’s best that you’re there during the initial meet-and-greet anyway in case you’d like to ask any questions.
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Activities Galore
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It’s quite alright to admit that you’ve struggled to take your mom or dad grocery shopping. It’s fine if you find it hard to balance looking after your elderly folks as well as juggling your other commitments.
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Forgive yourself when you aren’t quite sure what to do when they find themselves complaining that they’re bored.
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In a sheltered housing block, many residents are healthier and happier. Why? .
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It’s because they can play chess, look after the communal gardens, have bingo and movie nights, get together for a spot of painting, take an over fifties keep fit class and even have fun making arts and crafts.
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Mobility
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On-site transportation also means it’s easier to take residents to the doctor or dentist if they prefer to visit them. This is in addition to house calls by a variety of professionals including hairdressers and beauticians if required.
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Would you like to stay over for the weekend? Wardens are more than happy to have families visit at any time. Some places have a guest flat or cottage available to rent if you’d prefer to sleep elsewhere, or have very young kids who could quickly tire out nanny or pop.
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