But I am very much looking forward to moving into independent/assisted living. I don't want to do home maintenance. I'd like to have some of my meals prepared by others. I'd like to know that if I die in my place, my body won't go undiscovered until neighbors complain about the smell. Plus, I'd love to have the social advantages of such a place.
Starting about two years ago, my sister and I spent well over a year getting our older brother (who will be 81 next month) and his wife out of the home they'd lived in for 40 years at that point, and into assisted living. Neither one had driven for some years. They were dependent of friends to drive them to doctor appointments or the grocery store or to have food delivered. They should have looked into assisted living years earlier.
Anyway, my sister and I, over the course of three different trips (I live in Santa Fe, sister is in Kansas) drove to the DC area where they lived. Looked at assisted living places. Contacted people who could clear out their home. They are both hoarders, so there was A LOT to clear out. Long story short, we found a good place for them, got them moved. Sadly, sister-in-law died about six months after the move, but brother is quite well established in that place and really likes it.
I get so frustrated and angry at people who insist on living in their home when they really can no longer take care of themselves, and have the funds to go into some kind of independent/assisted living place.
The main reason I haven't moved myself into one of them is that I'm waiting for My Son The Astronomer to finish his degree and get a permanent job somewhere. He's in Fairfax, VA, at George Mason University right now. He's still far enough away from getting his PhD that he's not yet seriously looking at jobs. However, his research is in exo-planets, which is THE hot topic in astronomy these days, with many, many, many jobs out there. I would love it if he wound up reasonably near me, meaning New Mexico, Arizona, or Colorado. But who knows? When he is settled in somewhere, I will then look at assisted/independent living places somewhere near him.
At this point in my life, at age 75, there are increasing restrictions on what I can do. I can tell my driving skills aren't as good as when I was much younger. I really hate driving at night. I can't lift heavy things, but it's easy for me to ask for help. I appreciate it very much that young people are good at helping me. It's harder to crouch down low to take things out of the lower shelves of the cupboard. Stuff like that.
A CCRC seems like an excellent choice. I will look into that when I'm closer to leaving this home. Depending on the up-front cost, perhaps the sale of my home will finance that. Otherwise, a more traditional independent/assisted living place will probably happen.
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