Page 36 Healthy Cells Magazine Peoria July 2014

S
ummer always seems active with the
kids. Your son needs to be taken to
sporting events and your daughter to
camp. Swimming is in the plans for twice
a week and it seems as if you need track
shoes to keep up. In addition, your mom
has fallen several times and doctor says it
is best to consider a retirement community,
but she has a dog. How do you make this
work? Life today is active, especially for
women aged 45 55 who care for both
their parents and children. These are people
caught in the sandwich generation.
Ever since Dad went to heaven, Moms
dog has become her main companion. When
talking about a retirement community, Moms
first question becomes: Can I take my dog?
Mom would be crushed if she didnt have the
dogs companionship. Several quick thoughts
come to mind. First, can she take her dog?
Second, she is probably lonely and may need
the companionship of others.
To answer the fi rst questi on: some
retirement communities allow small pets;
some do not. In some cases, a pet almost
becomes like a child to a senior and it
works well when they can stay together.
Remember, retirement communities can
be independent living (like an apartment);
assisted living where help is available for
assistance with activities such as dressing,
bathing, eating, etc.; or a nursing home
where more care is needed. See our blog at
www.LivingByYourDesignInc.com for more
questions and information on communities
accepting pets.
The second issue is Mom being lonely.
Depression is real and can be a substantial
problem with the senior population if a plan
is not implemented to ease this medical
problem. Studies have shown that people
do better, eat better, are more active, and
simply live a better quality of life if they can
take steps to lessen depression. A retire-
ment community helps with a number of
these issues. They normally serve two
to three well-balanced meals daily. They
usually have exercise classes and activi-
ties; they have outings, and a community
of people to socialize. So, a person living
in a retirement community often has bet-
ter nutrition, exercise, mental activities, and
senior living
Can You Take Your
Pet to a Retirement Community?
By Steven Buttice, Founder and President, Living By Your Design, Inc.
July 2014 Peoria Healthy Cells Magazine Page 37
senior living
socialization to help deal with the depression and actually, in many
cases, increase their quality of life.
It is important to know that all communities are different and
each have advantages and disadvantages. Before anyone makes
a snap judgment on moving to any community, a fair amount of
research should be done.
Coordinating care for children and parents simultaneously is
not easy. What can individuals in the sandwich generation do to
manage? It is important for members of this generation to heed
three words of advice: Plan, Plan, Plan. Legal, financial, residential,
mental, and physical health care elements must be addressed prior
to a crisis. An individual in the sandwich generation should guide
his or her parent through tough issues while being careful not to
take all control away from the parent. Start talking, making sug-
gestions and guiding parents early; do not wait for a crisis. This
column was a result of questions asked on our blog. Feel free to
see our blog below and communicate with us.
For more information, contact Living By Your Design, Inc., focus-
ing on the issues of older Americans: legal, financial, free guidance
for residential placement and health care issues. Call 309-285-8088
or visit our website: www.LivingByYourDesignInc.com. We are
located at 809 W. Detweiller Dr., Peoria, IL 61615.
Photo credit: Lighthaunter/Thinkstock
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We look forward to having the opportunity to serve you.
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Moms first question
becomes: Can I take my
dog? Mom would be crushed
if she didnt have the dogs
companionship.