My mother in law moved with us when her husband died. She put down the down payment on a house that allowed us to move to a much nicer town for our kids. She lived with us for almost 30 years.
I honestly believe living with us, with little kids, kept her sharp and engaged.
My mom was not as engaged. She insisted on livingfour hours away. She became isolated and did not keep up with herself. She became a shell of herself.
My mother in law lived to 99 and was only going downhill the last year or so of her life. My mom, died at 89 and she had dementia and a ton of physical issues.
There is a lesson to be learned here.
For certain many lessons. My mother was 1500 miles away and we couldn’t persuade her to move. By the time she was willing she was not driving for over 2 years, stuck at home and has declined severely. She is only 80.