Moving into a senior living or retirement community is an important and personal choice. If you are beginning to notice it being harder to maintain your home, manage meals or medication, or just plain lonliness or boredom then looking for a senior living community could be the right choice for you. You may need less care like in an independent senior housing community or more care like in an assisted living community or nursing home. Determining when and where to go can be a daunting but rewarding task.
Fortunately, there are many more choices for senior living then there were just years ago. This can help make the hard choice of leaving the memories of your home behind and lessen the heartache of moving away. Whether you are looking into a senior living community for yourself or for a loved one, you’ll be glad to know that many excellent options and a wide-range of services are available. Although most senior living communities will vary by facility, most offer standard service options like housekeeping, transportation, meal assistance, access to medical care and management, social programs, excercise programs and security. You can be sure that you or your loved on will receive the basic care they need.
Senior Community Living
Moving into a senior retirement community isn’t all bad. It’s an excellent way to have the care you need along with the companionship of people your same age and sharing similar interests. While some seniors lament over losing their independence, other’s will find renewed passion for interest and activities that they never previously had time for. When you don’t spend your day cooking, cleaning and managing your health, you have more time to bird-watch, read, take walks, enjoy conversation or whatever your fancy may be. With so many communities, it won’t be hard to find one that is located close enough to your family and friends that you won’t have to miss out on family events either.
There is also a great variety of types of communities, including senior community apartments and townhomes with multiple bedrooms and the feel or a regular house to assisted living facilities and nursing homes with single apartment and single rooms. Some facilities may offer recreation such as shuffleboard and golf, community rooms for playing cards, knitting and other activities, a pool or spa and excercise equipment. Many independent living communities will also offer social outings and activities outside the community but still under the care and management of the facility.
Choosing A Senior Housing Community
A large part of the choice you make for care will be the level of assistance that is needed. Some seniors simply need their housekeeping taken care of but want to stay independent to make other choices, while other’s will need focused assisted living and nursing needs. Since there are options in senior living from independent housing communities to assisted living to nursing care, you will be able to find the level of service that is right for your situation. Take the time to assess the level of care that is needed with friends and family before making a final choice. If you or your loved one have specific health needs and concerns, such as alzheimers or a previous stroke, you may be able to find senior housing solutions that have programs built specifically to suit those illnesses. Some facilities are built to age with you, so as the level of care you need increases, so does the available options from the community.
While the choice to move into a senior living community can be a hard one, most seniors report a happier and healthier life once they are settled in to their senior housing. Chances are there is a facility in your area that can almost exactly meet your needs. Having home and medical care available at all times can greatly reduce the burden and increase the independence of a senior citizen while still allowing them to live out the type of life they desire and maintain control over their choices.