Full speed ahead

As I was driving to work yesterday, I realized something profound. When you are driving, you cannot be looking back and forward at the same time. This may seem like common sense, but as we age, we try to do both at the same time with disastrous results. We want things to remain the same as they were, but still think we can move forward. This is an impossible task. We want everything to stay the same as it was even though we change as people. We want to stay in our homes, but we can no longer take care of the lawn or fix the leaky toilet. These are tasks we easily handled when we first moved into our home, but now we can no longer physically manage. We can still cook, but we do not want to make meals for one or two. Seniors think they do not have choices, but they do. Often, they just do not know how to make the best choice. When someone comes to Concordia Retirement Community and asks for my advice, I often ask them a lot of questions and remind them to stop looking back. If I could give seniors back the physical and mental health they had 20 years ago I would, but unfortunately that just isn’t reality.

Now we can move forward and look at the options available. Can everyone stay in their home? Yes, but at what cost? Are you going to be safe if you stay in your home? Is your mental and physical health going to continue to decline if you stay in your home? Are you going to spend all your finances trying to keep a home and your “stuff ”? Each person must answer these questions for themselves. When some individuals hold on to their homes, they lose choices because they stay and fail physically or mentally and can no longer move into an independent living option. Not looking forward and staying in a ‘ holding pattern’ is often the same as looking back, and you end up in the same place—stuck with no choice.

If you are a senior deciding about a move to an independent living community like Concordia Retirement Community, look at what you will gain versus what you will lose. You may have to give up some extra furniture or a few family heirlooms, but these are just things. When time is up, where will your things go? Many children do not even want these things as times and tastes change. In this modern world we live in, our children move around and do not want our ‘stuff.’ You worry about giving up your independence, but most seniors gain independence. They are no longer tied down by the upkeep of a home and now can concentrate on a maintenance-free lifestyle where they have more free time and less worry. They have time to visit and make new friends and learn new hobbies. Not worrying about the upkeep of a home improves their mental health. They can live, laugh, and love more! Most seniors at Concordia make new friends, and some have even developed new relationships.

If you have been stuck in the slow lane on the highway of life, stop looking back and look forward to living your best life yet by giving us a call at Concordia Retirement Community at 479-8553714. We would love to have lunch with you or give you a tour of our community as spring blossoms all around us, and hopefully around you also!