As a Seniors Move Manager I meet a lot of adult children who are worried sick about their parents living alone. Are they taking proper care of their health? Is the home really safe given failing eyesight, fragile bones and occasional dizziness? Are they still able to enjoy the amount and kind of social interactions that they loved, or are they too isolated? These adult children are concerned that their parent(s) won’t even consider moving because it signals the end of their life … their last move.
Well I love sports analogies, and one struck me some time ago that I have been sharing with more and more people. Read on to see if this sporty perspective might help your parents see a move to a condo or Retirement Residence in a different light.
There have been a lot of really great ninth innings of baseball games. My personal favourite was the 6th game of the World Series at the Skydome in October of 1993. The Blue Jays went to bat in the bottom of the 9th inning trailing 6-5. The crowd was going crazy. In the end, thanks largely to Joe Carter, we won the game 8-6. But all anyone remembers (and with great joy) is that 9th inning.
The ninth may be the last inning, but it doesn’t have to be sad or depressing. It can be the greatest inning of the game. It’s all in how you play it. When I think back to my dad, he certainly made the most out of his ninth inning, and we all have many fond memories of the years he spent living in his retirement residence. I spoke to a recent client last week and he told me that his father had been ‘resurrected’ after just a few months at his new residence. His Dad is no longer the grumpy recluse he had become. He is now much more like the active middle aged father he fondly remembers.
The other perspective is that not all games end after the ninth inning. The longest game in Major League Baseball history lasted 26 innings. You cannot assume that ‘the end is near’ when the 9th inning starts. The game may go on much longer. My dad enjoyed almost 6 years at his retirement residence. For him it truly became his HOME, one that he was most comfortable and happy living in.
So if you are involved with a senior who might consider moving, tell them what I do. “Put on your baseball cap, step up to the plate, and prepare to swing for the fence! You might be surprised by how much fun it can be!”
