It’s one of the single most hardest decisions you may ever make: deciding that your parents may need to move in to retirement homes. Though many have their doubts about retirement housing, they exist for a reason. As we get older, we may need to have medical care givers close by, or perhaps the upkeep of our homes become too much, or we may even no longer be able to take care of ourselves. Although we don’t like the idea of retirement housing, we may have no choice.

The good news is that there are options. In addition to your typical elderly homes, there are other independent living alternatives. These are retirement housing arrangements that are designed specifically for seniors. They can be apartment-style homes or freestanding houses, but they’re built to be friendly to aging people. They’re easier to navigate, and require no maintenance.

The idea behind this retirement housing alternative is to make a senior’s life easier, so that they don’t have to give up their independence.

However, independent or assisted living homes aren’t for everyone. Aging adults that suffer from moderate to severe cognitive impairment and problem behaviors need well-trained staff to help take care of them, and in an assisted living home, there simply isn’t enough help for them. This is also true for individuals that require regular monitoring of other health conditions. Rather than going in and out of hospitals, some conditions can be taken care of in a nursing home.

Choosing retirement housing for your parents is never easy, even with these alternatives. If you are unable to provide the attention and care that they need, if caring for them drains you emotionally and mentally, if they need specialized supervision, then it’s time to consider retirement housing.

If you have any questions about these retirement housing options, feel free to ask in the comments. Read more about this topic at this link.