Staying Fit
Margaret Gerlach spent her career as a nurse. So, she knew that people with cognitive or nervous system disorders decline more quickly when deprived of the companionship of loved ones.
That’s among the reasons why, when she and her husband, Harry, were considering moving into senior living, “we looked for places where we could live together. It never occurred to us not to.”
AARP Membership— $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
Harry, who is 78, has Parkinson’s disease, which at one time might have invited scrutiny from senior living providers hesitant to let someone with a progressive nervous system disorder stay independently with his spouse.
More long-term care communities are making room for couples in situations like this who are intent on remaining together.
“You’re used to dealing with each other,” says Margaret, who is 74 and moved last year with her husband to The Landing, an assisted living community in Alexandria, Virginia, where he gets additional care every day in the apartment that they share.
A growing need
This kind of arrangement is in increasing demand among the growing number of couples entering retirement while one or the other faces long-term health issues — particularly dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, which affect 55 million people worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases every year, according to the World Health Organization.
“A lot of couples historically would have had to live separately,” says Jonathan Garber, executive director at Watermark Retirement Communities, which runs The Landing and two other assisted living communities, in Rockville, Maryland, and Fairfax, Virginia.
These were designed to let couples with varying needs stay together in the same space, even in memory care, where there are apartments with two bedrooms and a shared common area and bathroom. Under most such models, the couples live in their own apartment and are visited by specialists and home health aides.
“The healthy spouse doesn’t have the burden of worrying about dressing, bathing, medication management. We take care of all that for them,” explains Garber. “They can make new friends, go out to dinner with other members, live a somewhat vibrant life and know their spouse with needs is being taken care of.”
Meanwhile, he notes, there are things the couple still can do together. “They’ll have meals together; they’ll watch TV together. So, they’re still able to enjoy life.”
More on Caregiving
Long-Term Care: Advice & Resources from AARP
Experts advise you start planning for long-term care needs as early as possible. Learn where to start when planning
11 Housing Options for Those Who Can’t Age in Place
Older adults want to stay in their homes but can’t always
What To Know When Buying Long-Term Care Insurance
It can be complicated to sort through all the options