There are currently one million Americans living in a senior living facility, and another 1.5 million are living in assisted care.
By the year 2030, that number will double. America’s aging population will reach 14 million by 2040.
Senior living communities are going to be expanding. While senior care can vary at some of the facilities, many train their staff to be kind and respectful. They need to be patient even when coping with a senior’s impatience. There are times when memory loss adds its own challenges to those sharing their living spaces. The confusion and frustration only add to the sadness these seniors feel.
Even for seniors living independently, it’s lonely once apartment doors are shut.
In the book of James, we are told that genuine religion in the sight of God is caring for orphans and widows in their distress. So many widows are living their final seasons in solitude, how distressing that must be.
These seniors have made an incredibly hard transition. They have lived independently, and now life is beginning to take away their options.
Karen Farris, in an op-ed in The Christian Post, suggests we have a gift these seniors could use — a little bit of our time.
As a way of thanking God for your health and freedom, go and visit an elder who no longer has either. It’s a few hours you’ll give away, but God gives it back in blessed ways.