13-03-2013, 04:59 PM
21
Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!
Originally Posted by The Dog Lover
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What would you do if you could no longer drive though Meg. Would you not feel isolated where you are.
With the advent of internet shopping I don't go far these days and my son and DIL are not far away if I really need them.I don't see anyone for days sometimes and that suits me fine
13-03-2013, 05:14 PM
22
Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!
As long as our internet is working, we feel we can have friendsWhen our mothers reached 80 and were widowed with larger houses than needed. We bought a large bungalow with planning permission for a 4 bed house. This we had built and had it as 2 apartments each with 2 beds.
After 8 years my mother in law died, mum i think felt a bit lonely in the house on her own, so eventually one of ours son's came to live in bungalow with his family and we moved into m-i-l's empty apartment.
This co-incided rather neatly with my mother needing extra care, it was easy to run up and down with meals, drinks etc at the appropriate times.
4 years later Mum died too, had she come out of hospital it would have needed to be a nursing home.
Now we have the place to ourselves, and continue to live in the one apartment which is big enough for us, and just use the other one as an overflow when we have family staying.
13-03-2013, 06:41 PM
23
Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!
My mom is in long-term care (assisted living) at the age of 85. She, like me, has Multiple Sclerosis and uses a power chair (I still get by with a cane). Because she is cognitively intact she comes and goes as she pleases and the home is close to banking, shopping, her favourite park, and the condo where she used to live and still has friends who stay in touch.We were able to fit 2 bookcases (for nearly a hundred books), a curio cabinet with her favourite miniatures, a love seat and dresser in the room, along with the hospital bed and night table provided. We also hung lots of family photos and put up shelves for her collection of cranberry glass. We store some folding chairs beside the love seat so when family visits we have seating and can bring in tea, coffee and desserts and watch old movies together. There's a raised bed outside her window where residents grew a respectable crop of veggies last summer.
Besides hanging out in her room, we can walk (she drives the power chair) to nearby restaurants or use one of several lounge areas, cook our own dinner in the 'country kitchen' which has all the usual appliances plus a huge table and seating for 12, or use the library with a fireplace for family get-togethers. It's turned out to be a good solution and she's happy to have made the move. She can do her own laundry (which she prefers) or we toss it in while visiting, or the staff will take care of it if she asks. Meals are quite good and she has gained weight since moving there.
She has cable hookup in the room so she gets all the tv channels she likes, and we will be hooking up her computer soon too. She does browse the internet and uses email.
The other end of the building is a full retirement facility which is always busy and cheerful. Folks have small apartments rather than rooms. There are outings and entertainment regularly for those who choose to stay in but it seems most of them are out and about.
13-03-2013, 09:06 PM
28
Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!
I feel a few mixed metaphors coming on - "what's good for the goose is NOT good for the gander" - "one man's meat is another man's poison" " the grass is always greener on the other side" etc etc.I have very active friends - still pillars of society involved in numerous social outlets; working for the church; still driving around town; world travel etc and enjoying retirement village life and others who love their home and garden and wouldn't move - I think the metaphors have it!
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