Myth-Busting: “It would be easy to get any care I might need at home.”

Have you ever seriously considered that you may need long-term care? Most likely not. Most of us like to think that we will age well, our health will never fade (just as our energy hasn’t), and even if we do fall ill, it will be for a short period of time. This is the basis for this week’s myth-busting: “It would be easy to get any care I might need at home.”  It’s the fourth myth we’ll examine from AgeWave’s Five Myths and Realities of Continuing Care Retirement Communities. (To view our previous myth-busting blogs, click here, here, and here.)

In actuality, according to AgeWave, more than two-thirds of Americans will require long-term care after we reach the age of 65. If we haven’t prepared for these potential situations, the cost can be dear – physically, socially, and financially!

I am a planner, which is why I live in a community where I can receive the majority of the health care I will need. Had I decided to stay at home, I would have to bug one of my children to take me to the necessary appointments, causing them to miss work. If I didn’t have children living in the local area, I would have to pay for in-home health care, which can become expensive ­– sometimes more than $50,000 per year!

Mrs. Joyce Shallis, a resident of Whitney Center in Hamden, Connecticut, has been on both sides of the coin. Prior to moving to Whitney Center, she and her husband lived in their private residence. Mrs. Shallis said, “It [getting care] wasn’t easy. My husband had to have 24-hour service when he was sick, and that wasn’t easy to get. I had to have a device to get me up the stairs. Being by myself, I didn’t have someone around to make sure I wasn’t falling and unable to get up.” Mrs. Shallis went on to say, “I have much easier access to care at Whitney Center. From the day I got here, I felt more secure.”

Ken Smith, a resident of Lakeview Village in Lenexa, Kansas, said, “There’s always the possibility of a rather serious condition such as a cardiovascular event, or something where I fall by myself. Even though I’m physically healthy, if I tripped and fell down my stairs to my basement floor, I could be there until I was no more.”

That is a sobering thought, which is why Ken then implored, “You’ve got to take into account, an important part of your life security is that you are in a place where, no matter what happens, a serious emergency or long term illness, you have the security you really need. It isn’t just having a sign for Brinks out on your front door. It’s the comfort and security of professional people ready to take over when you need it most. Being alone in your house is not the best thing for your self-interest.”

So, I sincerely suggest you evaluate your current situation and plan how you would receive the health care you need if you were to have a serious health event in your home. Would you be able to call for help? Is there anyone checking on you regularly? How would you get to rehabilitation or follow up appointments? If you don’t have the answers, perhaps it’s time to consider whether a retirement community might be the right option for you. Carry on!

Ann’s blog appears on Thursday. Comments and topic suggestions are welcome!