Celebrate Independence in Life and Living

As the Fourth of July approaches, we should all take some time to reflect on what independence really means for us, and for those in the home care business, to our clients and their families. For our forefathers, independence meant “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” As we age, it means that for us, and for the home care businesses, it means all that for clients and their families too.

• Independence means life: A 2013 study of supercentenarians in Japan suggests that “maintaining physical independence is a key feature of survival into extreme old age.” While most people won’t live to be age 100 plus, maintaining independence helps to stay active, stay fit, and stay connected to familiar surroundings, quality-of-life issues that studies have shown help to prolong life. For dementia patients, a 2006 study from researchers at the University Memory and Aging Center at Case Western Reserve found that they lived longer when families delayed putting them in nursing homes. Further proof that independence is important and a consideration for longevity and quality of life.

• Independence means liberty: Nearly 90 percent of seniors 65 and older surveyed by AARP said they want to live in their own home as long as possible. A recent business story in The Atlantic, “Living, and Dying, At Home,” focused on the rise of aging care communities that have come about because seniors want to age in place. As an expert in the article states, by living in these communities in their own homes, or in senior apartment buildings, seniors are able to continue to make their own decisions about their life and daily activities, choosing when to get up and go to sleep, what to eat, and what activities they’ll do. They don’t need to follow a regimented schedule so common in nursing homes and even some assisted living facilities. But these aging care communities are mostly found in large, urban areas, such as Boston, New York, or San Francisco. Most seniors don’t have these options available, and even those who do may still need additional assistance to safely stay in their own home. 

• Independence means pursuit of happiness: According to the eight key characteristics of happy people by Dr. David Myers, author of the Pursuit of Happiness, I feel two factors he cites can be greatly tied to seniors remaining at home: “Happy people feel a sense of personal control” and “Happy people have close relationships”. For the first factor, removing a senior from his or her home is probably one of the biggest ways—other than losing the ability to drive—that they lose control over their own lives. For the second factor, many elderly have lived in their own homes for years. They have developed close relationships with neighbors. Moving them to a place without familiar places and with total strangers may lead to depression (or worse) in some seniors who aren’t prepared to cut ties.

Folks who want home care in their private homes often cite the desire to remain as independent as possible and live independently. Home care provides them the safety net they need, and the peace of mind for their families that they are able to follow their heart’s desire with adequate safety nets in place.

corecubed’s marketing experts have a special knowledge and expertise in home care, home health care and hospice. Our services include high-quality, SEO-friendly aging care content which you then make available to your home care clients, such as blogs, newsletter, brochures, and website copy. Our content keeps anyone interested in aging care informed about the latest trends and findings, so that they, or their loved ones, can continue to live at home for as long as possible, and as independently as possible.

So let us help your business help your clients continue to celebrate independence well into their sunset years. And Happy Fourth of July! May we all remain as independent as possible for a long as possible.