"You don't transplant an old tree!"This saying means that people of advanced age should not be torn away from their familiar surroundings. But this can be difficult in view of physical or mental impairments. So what options are there to accommodate this desire for consistency and familiarity??
Once the children are out of the house, everyday life is often rearranged. Former children's rooms are redesigned, perhaps it goes once again on a journey of discovery to enjoy the regained freedom. At the latest when the first aches and pains of old age set in, however, you should also think about what your retirement should look like. Because not everyone can imagine to live in a senior residence later in life.
And who is going to pay for all this?
A very basic question here is: How can I finance my wishes?? After all, by no means all people who have worked all their lives also have enough saved up in old age to shape their lives according to their wishes. Especially when it comes to maintaining, repairing and modernizing real estate, considerable sums quickly become necessary. And banks are now as well known very restrained, if it concerns to grant older humans a credit. But don't let this throw you for a loop! There are a number of ways to finance your wishes, for example through a mortgage or real estate annuity. Just inform yourself!
Making your home barrier-free
Around one third of people over the age of 65 in Germany live in a one-person household. By no means all of these people feel that living alone is a burden. What counts for them is self-determination and independence. However, an important prerequisite for this is the appropriate adaptation of the living situation. Accessibility in particular plays a decisive role in self-determination in everyday life. Accessibility in this context means above all the avoidance of obstacles and trip hazards, for example in the form of steps, door thresholds or the edge of the bathtub. A converted home not only increases safety, but also comfort and satisfaction.
Shared apartment in old age
Has the apartment or even the house become too large to live in alone? Is being alone perhaps also not at all so your thing? Then a residential community may be the right decision. What sounds like student life at first has some benefits that are especially important for older people. This is not only a way to help each other in the community on a day-to-day basis, but also a way to spread duties over several shoulders. What's more, togetherness also keeps you mentally fit! And if an emergency does occur, someone is on hand to take care of it. The big disadvantage: Especially if you don't want to or can't extensively remodel your apartment or house, the retirement community requires a certain amount of willingness to compromise. And that also means being able to live with the little quirks of others.