When Age and Illness Invade the Homestead

Reader Contribution by Carole Coates
Published on October 21, 2019
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by Adobestock/ysbrandcosijn

You love living close to Mother Earth, digging in the dirt, hand making gifts, building your own structures. So, short of chucking it all in, how do you cope when long-term illness or a chronic health condition, even just aging, becomes a factor? Neither traditional nor modern homesteaders want to throw in the towel. And it’s hard to ask for help–assuming help is even available. What’s a person to do?

Our family has had to face both age an illness on the homestead, so we’ve been thinking about options for when we can no longer do what we love, at least the way we used to do them. Here are some ideas we’ve come up with.

Reassess and Prioritize

Now that you’re older, perhaps some of the tasks on your long To Do list aren’t as critical as they once were. If you have to make a lifestyle change, which jobs could you scratch off, or at least modify? Yes, you need a leak-proof roof, but perhaps that new greenhouse isn’t really a necessity. Or maybe you don’t need so much acreage, farmland, or garden space at this point in your life. Is it time to consider going small?

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