There is no shortage of advice when surveying a continued care retirement community (CCRC) to suit you: Are there multiple dining options? Is the staff warm and friendly? Is the location convenient?
Like the main characters in Room with a View, seniors may also feel that life is untenable without a room with a view. Seniors who neglect to ask about access to nature or rooms that look onto the outdoors could be doing themselves a disservice, especially if they spent countless years outside as they grew up.
Nature-deficit disorder is a condition that is gaining more attention. While the term was coined in 2005 to describe children’s relationship to the natural world, studies have found that older adults can suffer from outdoor deprivation. A Norwegian nursing journal published a study showing that seniors who spend more time outdoors regularly improve their concentration and sleep. Being in nature can trigger multisensory links to the past and trigger feelings of joy.
When you evaluate CCRCs, it may enhance your spirits to choose a room with a view, communal areas open to a patio, or pathways to gardens outside.
Follow this LINK to learn of one woman’s experience with her 96-year-old mother who moved to a facility with a room with a view that her daughter believes changed her life.