As we go through life, our lifestyles change at various stages.  We lived as an infant, a child, a young adult.  Then maybe we married, raised a family, and then watched the children leave to start their own families.  At each point we lived in a certain way that made up our lifestyle at that stage.

As we age, there are more lifestyle changes to consider.  Maybe enjoying retirement, which could mean an active lifestyle in a high-rise, in the country, or on a lake.  To some it may mean downsizing to a retirement community, but still living an independent and active lifestyle.  Eventually, as abilities to care for ourselves decline, a move to an assisted living facility may be needed.  Usually, this move is necessary when one needs care with meal preparation, bathing, dressing, or administering medication properly.  Often times, if a move to an assisted living facility occurs at the right time, an individual can live longer in an assisted living facility with dignity and a degree of independence, than if he or she had attempted to continue to live independently.