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Cruising Your Way Past Assisted Living
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Comments (2)How do you want to spend your golden years? I dream of never having to lift a finger to clean my living space. I look forward to eating savory meals prepared daily by...someone other than myself. But, mostly, I want to continue experiencing life’s riches while staying active for as long as I’m able.
You might think I’ve described what many Americans consider the primary option for aging adults—long-term care facilities. While independent and assisted living facilities afford seniors many of the aforementioned amenities, just imagine having your morning coffee on the deck of a cruise liner gazing out to endless ribbons of azure sea. Living on a cruise ship may be a feasible and affordable alternative to your grounded assisted living facility, according to Dr. Lee Lindquist, instructor of medicine at Northwestern University’s School of Medicine. Dr. Lindquist’s recent study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society posits that living on a cruise ship offers a better quality of life for people over 65 who do not have dementia or Alzheimer’s and enjoy travel, but might need assistance with the activities of daily living, such as those offered through homecare and assisted living facilities. Dr. Lindquist noted that amenities and costs are similar for both cruise ships and assisted living facilities; both provide three meals a day, single room apartments with private bathrooms, easy-access showers, cable TV, security services and, of course, entertainment. I don’t know about you, but I’d take a live show over bingo any night of the week! Don’t forget that many cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises, have onsite laundry, religious services, free toiletries and myriad recreational opportunities.
Sound tempting? Most ships have multiple fully licensed doctors and nurses on board and at your service 24 hours a day, unlike most assisted living facilities. Moreover, according to Lindquist, many ships have “medic areas” that resemble small hospitals. If a senior falls ill, onboard physicians can stabilize the patient before transferring him or her to a hospital at the next port, or arranging an airlift in the case of an emergency. Of course, this is probably not the best option for frail elderly.
With some prior notice, cruise ships can usually accommodate different dietary requirements, including food allergies, vegetarian, low-fat, low-sodium needs at no extra charge. It seems the benefits are endless affording seniors a chance to travel, meet new people and, perhaps, look beyond the looming aspects of aging. One of the most surprising aspects of cruisin’ for a living is that the costs of life on board a ship are reasonably comparable to those of assisted living. The British Medical Journal (BMJ) reports that Americans spend, on average, around $28,690 for one year in an assisted living facility. Living on board a cruise ship for one year would cost approximately $33,260.
I know that there are many assisted living facilities out there, one of which might be the perfect fit for you. But isn’t it nice to know that other feasible options exist—especially ones that involve poolside shuffleboard and endless fountains of chocolate?
Here’s to smooth sailing...Ami Icanberry
Posted in: Other Options
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