Right now, around one million U.S. adults live in some type of senior living community – a figure that is expected to double by 2030. Polls taken within the last few years indicate as many as three out of four U.S. adults aged 50 and older want to stay at home for as long as they can, or find some aging-in-place alternative, since home provides a sense of familiarity and choice. Community living, however, offers residents many advantages of home without the burdens of homeownership. Here are just a few of those advantages.
Finding the right accommodation
One of the difficulties of living at home as you age is that your house doesn’t change with your needs. Granted, homeowners can remodel with aging-in-place modifications, but those can quickly become expensive.
When residents move into a senior living community, however, they don’t feel that tension between the size of the space around them and the smaller scale of their needs. Instead, a care professional will evaluate them and recommend moving into either independent living or assisted living options – whichever one fits their lifestyle and preferences the best. In an independent living community, residents might live in an apartment or a villa, with easy access to community-wide events. In an assisted living option, residents enjoy all the perks of independent living with the added benefit of discreet, 24/7 caregiver support.
Leading an enriched life
As any homeowner knows, the real burden of a house isn’t the mortgage – it’s the upkeep. Houses seem to generate their own to-dos, which means you’re stuck mowing the lawn every weekend, power-washing the driveway or spending even more money just to keep things in working order.
At a senior living community, residents don’t have to worry about constant maintenance issues. If anything breaks, the staff can fix it with just a single call. The same convenience applies to household chores – all that is done for you, which frees you up to spend your days doing whatever you want. That might include celebrating holidays, visiting with friends or taking part in workshops and series like guest lectures from renowned professors, exercise classes and happy hours around the pool.
Pursuing passions
Part of doing whatever you want means dedicating time to the things that bring you joy – be it writing, painting, exercising, dancing or discovering a new interest. A quality senior living community will foster an environment where residents tap their creativity and rediscover the things that have always brought them meaning.