Living artfully in the community
Who said we need to be independent and self-sufficient – especially in our senior years? No one person is an island and if it takes a village to raise a child, how many does it take to provide quality of life to an elder?
Many of us wait for a crisis to spur us into action. But when we are faced with a predicament, we don’t have a lot of time to ponder options. Living in community is safe and healthy. Communities take many forms: family, work, neighbourhood, church and assisted living facility – to name a few.
Living in community is a choice and often a good one. It means surrounding ourselves with the right people and immersing ourselves in a thriving environment. Whatever form a community takes, when fellowship and support happens, a sense of belonging becomes real and isolation false.
Our society thinks living alone is positive: a place where freedom and autonomy over our life is gained. Yes, living alone has its comforts and as people we could acclimatize to any circumstance, but as we age loneliness, lack of safety and lack of support becomes an issue.
