Senior Care, Is It Really The Option?

July 20, 2012 - PRLog -- It is like a tradition for most Boomer parents to retire and start living in nursing homes. This is particularly so, in the case of Western countries like USA and UK, where about 10% of Boomers leave their residences for nursing homes. A nursing home is a skilled care facility which offers residence to Baby Boomers of different ages.

It is quite surprising that children are the ones that encourage their parents to opt for such a facility. Back in India and most Asian countries, Baby Boomers continue to live with their extended family, comprising of kids and grandkids . When you compare the ratio with that of westerners, it is very disheartening to see most of the elderly living a life in nursing homes.

What are the pros and cons of living in such homes? Well, to begin with, these are places that offer state of the art facilities and medical care, which may not be available in a small town or county. Secondly, you get to live with people of the same age. Third, there is no chance of loneliness when one of the spouses is no more.

Still, I am still not a fan when it comes to sending parents in home care. It upsets me knowing that our elderly parents are living separately in a facility home, away from their kids and grandkids. It is to some extent unacceptable and depressing to live by yourself alone, when you could have the ease of living intimately with the family you once took care of. Sending parents to a home care facility will not be an alternative for me.

Parents may experience too much sadness when left alone in a care facility and it could be too much for them to handle. My Aunt has been staying in a care facility for many years. Regardless of the fact that she had herself habituated to that kind of living, I can still feel her grief, especially when we get to celebrate events and special occasions. Every time we visit her, I could see how she longs for her children and grandkids and it really breaks my heart. For me, I wouldn't really recommend that we send our parents to a senior care facility, for they may not have the same feeling when they used to live in their own homes.

As we grew older, our parents directed us, shared wisdom, and shined guidance in our lives. Now, with the nest of youth long faded, and children gone, comes a time when our parents need us to help prepare them for the transition into a new stage of life. When we care for our parents, we bring honor and blessings to their lives.