Do you expect to spend the last years of your life in a care home?
Answers
10,000 Americans turn 65 every day! 5% of older adults (65+) reside in a nursing home. 50 percent of them are 85 years old or older, 35% are between 75 and 84, and 65 and 74 year-olds constitute 15%. The majority of nursing home residents are accepted with more than one condition, most with three or more conditions. The most common reasons for admission to a nursing home are (in no particular order):
• Effects after a stroke
• Cognitive diseases
• Cardiovascular and hypertension conditions
• Functional reduction like incontinence and endocrine disorders such as diabetes
Although only 5% of seniors live in nursing homes, roughly 25% of older adults will need nursing-home care at some point in time. Nursing home discharge residents for the following reasons:
Approximately 30% of nursing home residents will recover and return to their communities; 36% leave nursing homes because of being transferred to another nursing home or a hospital; unfortunately, approximately 25% will exit a nursing home only when they pass away; and approximately 10% will leave for other reasons.
Well, as someone who never married and had any kids, I’m most likely going to end up there. Am I thrilled? No. Can I do anything about it? No. Is the thought of it scary for me? Yes, but maybe that’s because care homes are associated with a risky, difficult, and restricting image.
There’s a chance that many senior citizens living in assisted facilities are living well and enjoying each other’s company. But we’ll never know because most of the stereotypes and stories we have known or heard about care homes are disturbing.
It will be a few couple of years before I have to step on that road. Still, I hope for the best and try to stay optimistic about it.
This is the last thing I want in my life. I’m terrified that I’m slowly aging, and maybe I’ll have to go there one day. I find it hard to accept that there are certain things I won’t be able to do when I get older. I want to spend my last years reading a book and drinking wine at home. 🙂
Hopefully not. Although, I have type two diabetes and a family history of Alzheimer’s disease. There have been studies to prove that type 2 diabetes is an Alzheimer’s risk factor. It’s scary because I’m naturally independent; I’m not too fond of spending my last years relying on other people. But I choose to be optimistic. I try to have a clean diet and exercise regularly.
