Senior Communities
A senior community offers many advantages for a fun, relaxing retirement. There’s the companionship of people of similar age and interests, the freedom from the burdens of home maintenance, and the security of nearby care.
A senior community can be one of two things. It can simply be a community that has seniors living in it. There are usually no young families or young adults in the communities. Many have age restrictions on them, allowed by the federal government. The other option is that a senior community can be a grouping of seniors in a home that are supervised due to medical or personal preference.
When you start looking into senior communities, there are a number of things to consider. You’ll want to get a solid feel for the kind of senior lifestyle the senior community you’re considering promotes. Ask about the balance of privacy vs. shared activities and senior sports (is there a danger of feeling isolated? Or, on the other side, a danger of feeling pressured to join in more than you want?), as well as whether the kinds of activities offered are ones that suit you.
Also worth looking into at a senior community is the food situation – if it’s shared, you might want to ask current residents about the quality and variety of the cooking and if it fits the needs of your senior diet. If there’s the option to do your own cooking, how easy is it to get the groceries you need? Some senior communities will have services that get groceries for you. These usually come at a small price but are extremely convenient if you can no longer carry heavy things or have trouble driving.
If you need care, whether medical or non-medical, how responsive, friendly and professional is the staff? And, as good as the care may seem, make sure there’s a clear structure for dealing with any issues you may have.
If you’re thinking about a region or city in which to investigate senior living communities, see our sections on best places to retire – and remember, a big factor in choosing the right senior community is how close it puts you to your family community. Think about how many visits a year you’ll want, and about the help your family can provide in dealing with any issues you have with your chosen senior community. It never hurts to have as much community as possible supporting your retirement.
