老年人居住方式的选择影响

In many societies, it is assumed that the family takes care of one another, even until old age. It is shameful if a family decides to send their elderly to a home for the aged. However, in some places, the elderly are opting to live out their final years in a retirement community than stay with their adult children. In my view, this is a good thing for everyone involved.

For the elderly family member, the problems of loneliness and insufficient care are addressed in a retirement community. Many elderly persons who stay with family are often left alone at home if they are capable of staying by themselves. Both parents are usually at work earning for the family while the kids are in school. By contrast, in a retirement community, the elderly get to mingle with people their age, sharing stories, playing board games, or watching TV together - not alone. They also receive immediate healthcare as needed, including scheduled medication, since nurses and other assistants are working there.

As for the family, the retirement community alleviates the responsibility of taking care of their elderly members. As many older persons would face physical or mental challenges, one of the breadwinners might end up staying home to ensure nothing goes wrong. Even if the stay-at-home parent finds part-time work, caring for the elderly member limits the earning capacity, burdening the family financially. But if the elderly member is happy being placed in a retirement community, parents get to provide fully for their children. There is also lesser personal guilt because they know their loved one is in good hands and is enjoying the company of others their age. Apart from that, the family can visit anytime, so it is not like they have abandoned them to strangers.

To sum up, it is a win-win situation for families if their elderly willingly choose to stay in a retirement home. Their loved one gets to enjoy time with others who are happy to interact with them, and the family is not burdened with time and money issues.