Wellness
Deb Gerow | Wellness Committee
Castles in Spain:
Housing Considerations in Retirement
Retirement. Freedom from the daily work routine and
the necessity of making difficult decisions, right? Not
necessarily so. Being retired is wonderful, but as you
may have discovered already, retirees do face many
important choices.
One of the most difficult decisions is deciding where
to live. We may be making this choice for ourselves,
or, if we are very fortunate, helping our parents to
choose. Of course, most of us are quite content in the
residences in which we have been living for years.
However, as we age, these homes may not work as well
for us as they did when we first took possession. With
the effects of aging, changes to our families, and even
just changes in our preferred lifestyles, it might be
time to try something else.
Many people dream of retiring to a new location,
perhaps one with a better climate. While some retirees
do make this transition successfully, the idea of being
far away from family and friends discourages many of
us from this path.
So, if not a castle or even a casa in sunny Spain,
where should we live? There are several options for
us to choose from. If we are healthy and active and
able to manage daily living without much assistance,
we may remain within our current community aging
in place, either living independently or perhaps with
family. Another possibility is to move into some
form of seniors’ housing community. Then, for those
of us experiencing more challenges with managing
daily tasks, there are several supportive living
options available.
Aging in place means remaining in our homes,
staying in familiar surroundings, in an area that we
know well and where we feel comfortable. However,
there are challenges if we make this decision. Houses
may need retrofitting — changing doorknobs for
door handles, installing grab bars in the bathroom,
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perhaps trading that jacuzzi bathtub for an accessible
walk-in shower, building a ramp up to the outside
door, putting in a stair-lift or an elevator, adding
brighter lighting, or building a ground-floor laundry
room. Remaining in one’s own home also means being
responsible for yardwork like snow shovelling in the
winter and grass cutting in the summer. Homes also
require maintenance like washing windows, touching
up paint trim, changing light bulbs, or replacing that
leaky faucet. Of course, it is possible to hire extra help
for these jobs, but it’s necessary to consider them when
weighing one’s options.
If you wish to remain in your own home but
need some modifications to ensure it is safe, visit
seniorsadvocateab.ca/information/house-
and-home-supports, a link to some programs for
equipment, finances, and more.
Some seniors choose to live in granny, garden, or
in-law suites, usually in the home or on the property
of a family member. These units are generally
self-contained, and since they have a smaller square
footage, they are easier to maintain than a whole
house. Family members are available to provide
support, taking care of yardwork, maintenance, and
transportation as needed. While allowing for privacy
and independence, opportunities abound for contact
with loved ones.
There are many types of housing complexes from
which to choose if one decides on a setting just for
seniors. Some move into apartments, condominiums,
duplexes, or even gated communities specifically
built for seniors. There is no need for retrofitting,
since these places were designed with seniors’
needs in mind, and usually there is no upkeep or
maintenance to worry about. Often there are lots
of recreation programs organized for residents so
opportunities for socialization are present. These