Independence?
With independence day upon us, I have been thinking about independence as it pertains to Maine seniors. Most folks that I work with express the desire to stay “independent” as long as possible and for most that means staying at home, out of residential living communities like assisted living.
I understand the concept and the wish to be independent, but without the proper support services staying home can be more of a hardship than transitioning into community living.
Independence comes from planning and preparedness. If people wait until they can no longer manage their medications to introduce a medicine management tool it likely wont be successful. Grab bars should be installed in the bathrooms before the slip and fall happens.
For seniors independence doesn’t mean doing it alone. Independence comes from implementing support services before they are critically necessary, recruiting help from others and having the foresight to make a contingency plan.