What Do Seniors Want Most?
There is an element of objectivity to the question of what do seniors want most? With that said, when seniors are questioned about what is at the top of the list of things they want most, there are some frequently occurring responses. With that in mind, the top seven things that seniors say they want the most are:
- Good health
- Meaningful relationships
- Community connection
- Respect from others
- Financial security
- Comfortable life
- Independence
Through this article, we take time to consider each of these items that older Americans indicate they most want out of life, even as they advance in years. It is also important to note that many people rate some of these items as equally important to getting the most out of their lives during their Golden Years.
Good Health
In the grand scheme of things, older people seem to want very few things more than good health. In the end, seniors tend to conclude that if you don’t have good health, you really cannot enjoy anything else in life. This includes spending time with those you love.
There are specific strategies that older people can employ as means of improving their overall health. Each person has their own health related needs. However, these strategies can aid many people from all walks of life in improving their health. This includes taking such steps as:
- Exercising regularly
- Eating a healthy diet
- Scheduling appropriately regular appointments with a primary care physician
- Getting an appropriate amount of sleep
- Reducing stress
- Following the course of any medications prescribed by a doctor
Meaningful Relationships
Speaking of those you love, when asked about what they want most, seniors nearly always include meaningful relationships or time spent with those they love. Included on the list of people who they desire meaningful relationships are:
- Spouses
- Other significant others
- Children
- Grandchildren
- Other relatives
- Friends
Community Connection
When asked to describe what they most desire, many seniors remark that they want what broadly can be referred to as community connection. What this generally means is that older people not only want family connections but they also want to be connected with friends and other people in the community as well.
Maintaining a community connection also means being able to participate in activities away from the home. These can include a wide array of things, from attending religious services to going to movies to dining out with family and friends.
Respect From Others
When asked about what seniors want most, many older women and men indicate that they want respect from others. Some older individuals indicate that as they have aged, they have come to feel that they do not garner the same level of respect that they enjoyed earlier in their lives. This includes a feeling that even their own family members do not respect them to the same degree as had been the case previously.
Financial Security
A major item on the list of what seniors want is financial security. This includes not only having enough money to address day to day needs. It also means that they want enough money available to them to address some sort of emergency.
Unfortunately, in this day and age, there are older people who have a limited amount of funds available to them in their Golden Years. They arguably have not set aside enough in the way of retirement money.
Comfortable Life
Seniors also strongly desire a comfortable life. This includes having a pleasant place to call home. A comfortable life is also at least somewhat related to the matter of financial security and health. A senior wants enough money to live a comfortable life. In addition, an older person wants a level of health that likewise permits the ability to live a comfortable life. In other words, the desire for a comfortable life is a multifaceted consideration for older people.
Independence
Finally, a recurring item on the list of what seniors want most is independence. This is why many older Californians and older Americans want to remain living in their homes whenever possible. Some of these people find themselves in a position that they cannot tend to all activities of daily living. These individuals should consider the possibility of moving to an assisted living community.
Some individuals balk at taking this step because they fear they will be giving up their independence. In fact, even when living in an assisted living community, residents of these centers are able to maintain a considerable degree of independence.
In some instances, older women and men who live alone begin to find that they are not able to enjoy what they most care about on a regular basis. For many individuals, this inability to not be able to enjoy what they want most leads people to consider residing in an assisted living community.