My parents have new neighbors. Jack and Carole, both in their early 80s, realized their cape-style home in Rhode Island was too much for them, with bedrooms on the second floor and the washer and dryer in the basement. They would soon need some help and decided a one-story home, minutes from their son in New Hampshire, was a good choice.One week after they purchased their new house, Carole was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
On the day of the move, after the furniture and boxes were placed in the home, Carole came out of her son’s car to enter the house. She had a walker with tennis balls on the bottom. My mom watched as Carole took a few steps and then had to sit down.
Jack and his son went into the house and grabbed a kitchen chair. They sat Carole in the chair and carried her into the house.
My mom took the transport wheelchair we have for my father and brought it over to Jack and Carole. She asked them if they would like to borrow it and they were greatly appreciative. They had not planned on Carole needing something like that.
As my mother relayed this story to me last week, I was struck by the challenge that many seniors face in knowing when it’s the right time to move.
While most seniors want to age in place, for some that may not be a realistic option.