Going Home for the Holidays May Offer Opportunity to Discuss Making Life Easier
Planning to visit your parents during the upcoming holidays? While the time for traditional home-cooked foods and a festive atmosphere is upon is, visiting with your parents may also include seeing signs that mom and dad may not be as “on top” of things as they used to be. You might notice they’re slowing down, or they’re expressing feelings of fatigue about performing or managing daily chores – laundry, grocery shopping, cooking and housekeeping.
Whatever you find when you walk through the doors, it’s important to stay mindful and take note of your parents’ physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. How do you know if it’s time to consider options to better meet their needs? Here are some thoughts that may be helpful.
Still Independent But Challenged to Manage Home Responsibilities?
As we get older, our health may be pretty good, but physical age makes it more challenging to do all of the chores and maintenance that we used to perform with ease. Mowing the grass, or even making sure someone mows the grass (especially to your standards), becomes a hassle. Lugging a laundry basket to the washing machine is taxing. Cooking seems more complex because it involves trips to the store to buy ingredients. If driving has become an issue due to vision problems, then doing so creates a hardship relative to purchasing foods and other household necessities.
In cases like the above, your parents may still be in overall good health, but the physicality involved with daily chores and home maintenance is sapping their energy or simply becoming more physically challenging. Moving into an independent living residence could be the right option. In a community like Edgemere Senior Living, home maintenance is no longer a concern. Housekeeping and laundry chores are minimized because team members take care of those tasks once per week. And eating well is no problem because the dining program offers nutritious and delicious culinary options.
Your Parents’ Social Life Is Key to Their Mental Health
If social isolation is a worry, then a senior living community like Edgemere is a perfect solution. Filled with like-minded seniors who want to engage in conversation and fun activities, Edgemere’s social opportunities abound. Happy hours, wine experiences, symphony performances, volunteer activities or trips to local art museums are just a few of the social activities available. Team members keep residents well informed of upcoming opportunities to enjoy the company of others and tap into all that Edgemere’s lifestyle experiences have to offer.
Loneliness and social isolation have been linked to serious health conditions, so this is definitely a situation to consider as you think about your parent(s) and their ability to get out and gather with family and friends. The CDC reports that studies indicate social isolation has been associated with about a 50% percent increased risk of dementia.
Why Edgemere?
Fortunately, residents who move into Independent Living at Edgemere are surrounded by social experiences daily. And the campus itself is a welcoming and sprawling canvas for those who enjoy strolling outside to get some fresh air or gathering with friends in a courtyard to chat. The Tuscany inspired architecture is unlike any other senior living community in DFW, and the interior common areas and apartments are well-appointed and elegantly decorated. Spacious one, two and three-bedroom apartment options are available. Edgemere residents can easily access all manner of amenities as the community is a self-contained campus with on-site conveniences like a hair salon and spa, a barber shop, a fitness center and an indoor heated pool, to name just a few.
One of the best and most important things about Edgemere is its attentive team. There is an elevated level of expectation from the residents at Edgemere, and therefore team members are held to a higher standard. This tenet applies to all areas, including dining, housekeeping, programming and health services. Team members customize their interactions with residents, based on their knowledge of residents’ preferences and needs. All the details – big and small – matter at Edgemere, including nuances like always making eye contact, walking with residents to help them find a new area of the campus they haven’t yet explored, or arranging for reliable transportation to an off-site location (like the airport, for instance).
If you feel it’s time to consider a senior living setting for your loved one, contact us today for more information about Edgemere and schedule a tour. Independent Living at Edgemere may be just the right solution for a parent or parents who simply need to make life easier.