An Independent Living Community is a very vibrant, upbeat community of adults, ages 55 and up.  They live with the same freedom and excitement they had before moving, in addition to more socialization, more security, and more health care. You deserve a rest from your labors at a time when you can still enjoy life to the fullest!  Sometimes folks do not want to consider a move until they “have to.”  The problem with this thinking is, waiting until an event occurs in your life that would require a move might be such an event that would also prevent you from qualifying to move in and enjoying sweet rest from your labors, the wonderful events and quality entertainment.  When you become a part of an Independent Community, you become a part of a solid, engaging group of people that really do care about each other. 

If you need a rest from cleaning the house, mowing the lawn and would like to improve your social interaction, your physical well-being and your emotional state of mind, you might want to consider an Independent Living Community. 

I want to share a conversation I had with a very sweet lady several years ago.   Her husband has been mildly ill for a couple of years, but not anything they can’t manage with proper care and medication.  I had talked with her numerous times about moving, with her answer being, “We’re just not ready yet.”  During our phone conversation, she told me that he had quickly taken a drastic turn for the worse and was requiring 24-hour care.  This was depleting their money at an unbelievable rate.  She was exhausted and simply weary.  These were her words to me, “Oh, Rita, what I would give if we had only made the move sooner.  You really do think life is going to simply go on as it is and things will be o.k. Then, when life takes a turn for the worse, it’s too late.”  She said this behind tears.  She knew that if they had moved, she would still be in her apartment and her husband would be around the hall from her in Skilled Care with the 24 hour care that he requires.  She would have more strength and reserves to be positive for him as well as for herself.

We sure would like to think life will go on as it is, but it seldom does.  The old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is certainly true here.  In probably less than two years, this couple will very quickly go through a great deal of money for the 24-hour care.  This is powerful when it comes to the money, but probably the most powerful benefit it provides is the psychological aspect.  Consider where this lady is…she is very weak physically from taking care of her husband…she is mentally depressed because everything looks so dark in her life…she has very little outside positive encouragement from others because her relationships have almost all been shut down…she is daily seeing their money decrease…and she could lose the love of her life very soon.  This last aspect is difficult enough without any of the rest.

          I just finished an Emergency Management Class at a major university. One aspect of that class was the discussion as to why the majority of people, even in places like New Orleans, refuse to prepare for eminent danger.  So many folks believe...“It won’t happen to me!”  It may not.  Some of us will certainly never see Assisted Living or Skilled Care; that’s true…but what if you do?...like the lady’s husband above.  I truly believe in the fabulous plans that many Independent Living Communities offer.