As you approach retirement age, you may start to recognize challenges in the upkeep of your home. Perhaps you need to have a neighbor or relative mow your lawn because the heat and terrain has become a trial on your body. While you can still appreciate your beautiful garden, the prospect of continuing the labor that goes into your garden is no longer fun but has become more of a chore.
With age, chores begin to take longer and require more effort to perform. There is the vacuuming, the laundry, washing dishes, overall cleaning, maintenance, and so much more that a homeowner must do.
You may start to consider alternative options to living alone in your own home. There are several options that may be available to you depending on your situation. While living with a relative may be an option for some, that may not be the case for others. Is maintaining your independence important to you? That is difficult to do when you are living under someone else’s roof.
While it may be a struggle to decide the best plan of action, you may conclude that an independent living community is the best option. This is a community where active seniors can live independently while having resources available to help them with activities of daily living. If you choose an independent living facility, many tasks you faced at home are now handled by the kind and caring staff.
While we can appreciate wanting to stay in your home, there is a lot to look forward to in an independent living facility. Worries can be eliminated when you move into an independent living facility. Say good-bye to shoveling snow. Say good-bye to noisy neighbors. Say good-bye to broken down appliances.
There are new opportunities, too. Say hello to new friends. Say hello to relaxation and fun. You will begin to enjoy life again because so many of your concerns will be managed by the staff of your new home. Some of the added perks include campus activities, outings, social activities, restaurant style meals, cultural activities, transportation, and more.
There are some factors to consider when you are deciding on the right independent living community for yourself. Begin by making a list of things that are important to you when choosing a place to live. Those factors of importance can be categorized in four ways: people, place, location, and things to do.
People
Visit the facility so you can get a feel for the residents. Is there a sense of community or friendliness among the residents and staff? Talk to the people so you can evaluate if these seem like people you would like to get to know better.
Place
Consider the size of the community. Are you more comfortable with a large community where you can happily get lost in the crowd or a small community where everyone knows you? Do you like the level of activity you see among the residents? Do you need a place that allows pets?
Location
The location of the community is important for many reasons. Perhaps there are family members that you would like to live near. You may want to be within walking distance of certain stores, like a grocery store. Is the neighboring community safe? Are there areas on the grounds or nearby that you can walk and enjoy nature?
Things to Do
Most communities have activities for their members. Find out what types of activities are available at each of the independent living facilities you are evaluating. Are there planned excursions for group outings? Are there different organized groups in the community, like a reading or knitting group?
When faced with the decision of picking an independent living facility, tour and talk to staff and residents at several of them before making your final decision. Doing your homework will make it so much easier when determining your goals for independent living. While all facilities will have pros and cons, ultimately you want a place that is safe and makes you happy. Determine what factors are important to you and see which facility fits that criteria the best.
