04/11/2025
Plan A, Is this the best choice?
By Amy Hentschel
When we are in front of groups presenting on senior living, we often will ask the question, “who would prefer to stay in their home until the end of their life?” Inevitably, all the hands shoot up in the room. This is not surprising to most, but what might surprise you, is this statistic, that living at home as an older adult increases your chances of dying soon by over 50%!
Makes you pause and consider why does living at home raise your chances of dying prematurely? Good question. I imagine that for the majority of us, our goal to live long, and full lives. We try to do the things that help us to achieve better health and wellness and as we age, this becomes all the more important.
Wellness is derived from our ability to understand, accept and act upon our capacity to lead a purpose-filled and engaged life. In doing so, we can embrace our potential (physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, environmental, vocational) to pursue and optimize life’s possibilities.
The wellness dimensions overlap and coordinate to provide rich environments for living. Wellness becomes a framework that is valuable for serving the wants and needs of a person engaged in life.
I am going to make a shocking statement that might as a surprise to you: NON of us can achieve full wellness staying at home. I personally, leave to receive spiritual, social and physical enrichment as well as, leaving my home for work and to pursue cognitive interests. This is the conversation that we need to be having with our elders and each other. Staying in a house that is not designed for our safety or aging needs and isolating ourselves from others, is the fast track to poor health and poor quality of life.
In regard to delaying moving out of your house, you are actually risking spending more on care and finding that you have fewer options that are affordable and meet mobility guidelines. Many assisted livings require an individual to be able to assist with their own transfer and some even require you to be able to stand and walk. Staying home longer, reduces your independence and contributes to a more sedimentary lifestyle.
We talk with groups all the time about the 7 Dimensions of Wellness. These dimensions create wellness and health in all aspects of your life. Regardless of living at home or living at a senior community, if you are not engaging socially, or addressing purpose in your life, then you are still missing complete wellness. Even though many of these wonderful communities provide opportunities to achieve all 7 dimensions, it is still a matter of wiliness to seek and participate.
Consider these 7 dimensions in your own life and self-check your level of complete wellness and quality of life:
Emotional
Feelings are the lens through which people view the world, and the ability to be aware of and direct one’s feelings helps to create balance in life. Coping with challenges and behaving in trustworthy and respectful ways signal emotional wellness, attributes that can be encouraged through peer counseling, stress management, humor/laughter and personal histories.
Intellectual, cognitive
Engaging in creative pursuits and intellectually stimulating activities is a proven approach to keeping minds alert and interested. There are many ways to stay intellectually active, including taking college courses, journaling, painting or joining a theater company, and challenging oneself with games and puzzles.
Physical
The goal of living independently is one shared by many people, and physical wellness is necessary to achieve this. Lifestyle choices that can maintain or improve health and functional ability include engaging in physical activity, choosing healthy foods with adequate nutrition, getting adequate sleep, managing stress, limiting alcohol intake, not smoking, making appointments for check-ups and following medical recommendations.
Professional, vocational
Work that utilizes a person’s skills while providing personal satisfaction is valuable for society as well as the individual. Participating in the paid and unpaid workforce means maintaining or improving skills, and helping others. Older adults contribute to society as experienced professionals, caregiver, mentors, teachers and volunteers. Leisure-time vocations in the arts and through hobbies maintain vocational skills.
Social
Social interactions with family, friends, neighbors and chosen peer groups can be valuable for maintaining health. Personal contact by joining clubs, traveling, visiting friends and family, engaging in intergenerational experiences like making quilts with elementary school children is beneficial for everyone who touches it.
Spiritual
Living with meaning and purpose in life, guided by personal values, is key to feelings of well-being and connection to the larger world. Group and individual faith-based activities, personal meditation, mindful exercise (yoga, tai chi) and experiencing nature can create the opportunity for spiritual growth.
Environmental
Surrounded by natural and man-made environments, good stewardship means respecting resources by choosing “green” processes that re-use and recycle goods. It also means looking at ways to bring people into the natural environment and encourage active living through urban and property designs emphasizing walking paths, meditation and vegetable gardens and similar options.
So, how did you do? Are there any areas where you lack or opportunities for enhancement? I encourage you to shift your paradigm of thinking that “home” is always best. If quality and quantity of life matter to you, then be your own advocate and choose to step into a fuller, more joyful life!
We offer interactive Caregiver Day Camps throughout the year where you can come and learn more about these precepts and take them home to apply to your life or share with your loved one. To learn more, reach out to us at 1-888-979-8783.
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