You’re approaching your golden years, and you’re thinking that it might be time to make a change. Whether you’re looking for a simpler, more relaxed lifestyle or you’re overwhelmed with the demands of maintaining a home, you might be wondering what the next stage of life will bring. Is it time to sell your family home or pass it on to your children and downsize into something smaller and more manageable? Is it time to think about senior living options? Here’s how to tell if senior living is the next best step for you.
The Prospect of Moving is Daunting
At this stage of life, you may prefer that your next move is your last, as the thought of packing up a lifetime of belongings and memories to move to a new home is daunting. While you could move into a condo or apartment, you may eventually need to move into a senior living community such as assisted living later in life as your care needs change.
That’s why many seniors are choosing senior living options like continuing care retirement communities, which offer several levels of care at the same campus to allow residents to easily transition to higher levels of care as their needs change. In other words, opting for senior living now may mean that you won’t have to move again later in life.
You Want to Maintain an Active Lifestyle
Today’s seniors are living active lifestyles long into their golden years, and today’s senior living communities allow them to continue engaging in a variety of activities they enjoy. Retirement communities, for example, offer a range of on-site services and amenities as well as plenty of activities and opportunities for socialization. You’ll never run out of things to do at a senior living community.
Senior living offers activities such as arts and crafts, movie nights, community dining options, group outings, educational opportunities, and on-site amenities like beauty salons, manicurists, barbers, and therapeutic massage. The activities and wellness programming offered by senior living communities help you maintain the vibrant, active, and healthy lifestyle you enjoy. You might even discover new interests and hobbies.
It’s Difficult to Get to the Places You Need to Go
Maybe you live in a rural area and traveling to visit with family and friends is tiresome. What happens when you don’t want to or can no longer drive? Senior transportation options may not serve your rural community, leaving you to depend on family and friends for transportation to the grocery store, doctor’s office, pharmacy, and everywhere else you want to go.
This situation can quickly lead to isolation among older adults, which increases the risk of loneliness and depression. At a senior living community, a range of services are readily accessible on-site, as well as transportation to off-site locations for outings, healthcare appointments, and other needs. And, with plenty of friends residing in the same community and the ample socialization opportunities mentioned above, senior living options ensure that seniors never feel isolated or alone.
You’re Tired of the Demands of Home Maintenance
Is maintaining your home taking up all of your time? If you’re tired of spending all your energy on mundane maintenance and housekeeping tasks like mowing the lawn and changing lightbulbs, senior living might be the next best step for you. Senior living communities provide independent living spaces along with services like housekeeping and maintenance, giving seniors the freedom to pursue their interests and hobbies.
Cooking is another chore you won’t need to handle. Senior living communities often have dedicated chefs and on-site communal and private dining areas so meals can be as social or as private as you prefer. And if you love to cook, you can continue to prepare your own meals as often as you like.
You Want to Meet New People
If your current lifestyle is somewhat isolated or you feel lonely at times, moving to a senior living community will introduce you to a whole group of new friends in the same stage of life. Senior living communities provide ample communal spaces such as all-purpose rooms, libraries, community gardens, walking paths, exercise rooms, game rooms, and more, there are endless opportunities to meet other seniors with similar interests.
Your Current Home is Difficult to Navigate
If you have mobility issues as you age, it can become increasingly difficult to navigate your home. You may need to go up and down the stairs to get from your bedroom to the bathroom or kitchen, for instance. Your home’s layout may mean that getting from room to room requires traveling through a dark hallway and navigating turns.
While you could invest in a remodel to make your home more senior-friendly, the cost of renovations can be significant. Senior living communities are designed with the needs of seniors in mind, with spacious, easy to navigate one-level floor plans and extra features designed to improve your safety, such as emergency alert systems, high-rise toilets, and grab bars. The monthly cost of senior living may be comparable to your current monthly expenses when you consider mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, and maintenance and repairs. Plus, there’s no costly home renovation required to take advantage of senior living.
If you’re wondering if senior living is the next best step for you, take a virtual tour of the apartments available at Arbors at Hop Brook and explore the many services and amenities our community offers. If you’re ready to explore the next step, get in touch to schedule an on-site tour and experience the active senior lifestyle that awaits you at Arbors.