Today’s senior living communities offer residents so much more than care services as they grow older. Although the need for daily support is a main reason that seniors make the move to community living, there are many more reasons to transition to senior living before your health requires it.
“Independent Living offers those of retirement age and older a vibrant, full lifestyle free from the worries that can drain their thoughts and energy,” says Peggy Connelly, Vice President Resident Services at amavida, a senior living community located in Fort Myers, Florida. “We love to see seniors make this transition when they have the vitality to enjoy all the advantages.”
Reasons to Make the Move Now
Perhaps you’re well into your search for the perfect senior living community, or maybe you’ve only just begun to consider the possibilities of an Independent Living lifestyle. Either way, it helps to be aware of what you have to gain from an early transition to community life. Consider the following benefits of moving to a senior living community before support needs arise:
- Time to Prepare – Waiting until a health issue forces you to make the move to Assisted Living often limits your choices. Health is unpredictable, and emergencies can leave little time to prepare for a big transition. When you make this move earlier when support is not the main deciding factor, you get to set the timeline – organize your belongings, prepare finances, tour as many communities as you wish and sell your home – all on your own terms.
- Enjoy Your Community Longer – Most senior living communities are rich with fabulous amenities and programming that allow residents to enjoy a fuller lifestyle – even for those receiving Assisted Living services. But why wouldn’t you want to take full advantage of these benefits while you’re healthy enough to enjoy them? Moving in before your health begins to decline gives you more bang for your buck, so to speak. Don’t wait to move to a resort-style community until you can’t take advantage of all it has to offer.
- Travel with Ease – Many seniors find that they leave home with fewer worries when they live at a senior living community. Rather than leaving behind a solitary home and paying someone to mow the lawn and gather the mail, senior living residents can make easy arrangements with their community. Regular maintenance is already taken care of, and many communities have security features on campus that let residents come and go with greater peace of mind.
- Focus on Relationships – The ease of maintenance-free living allows you more time and energy to spend on the people you love. Hosting is less stressful when you don’t have to worry about housekeeping or cooking meals, and the free time you have can go straight into cultivating relationships. Plus, community settings are designed to give you wonderful opportunities for a full social life with neighbors and friends.
- Design Your Best Lifestyle – When you move to a senior living community, you gain more than just a nice place to live. You also receive the potential to design each day exactly as you choose, whether you use the amenities available on campus or trade in your old worries for a life of relaxation. You’ve got time and resources to dive into your hobbies or explore new things. Your community takes care of daily needs, so all you have to do is decide what you want.
- Experience Health and Longevity – The best senior living communities make it easy for residents to put their health first and enjoy a wellness-focused lifestyle. Meals are prepared for optimal nutrition, and on-site fitness centers, exercise classes and health clinics promote opportunities for greater health, which in turn promotes longevity by decreasing your risks for injury and illness.
- Sound Investment in Your Future – When you choose a senior living community with a continuum of care services, you make a solid investment for your future security. If you ever require Assisted Living or more advanced care, you can rest assured that your needs will be taken care of without having to move somewhere else. Depending on your community’s contract, you might begin buying into care services like Assisted Living, Memory Care, Rehabilitation and more when you first move in, guaranteeing those resources will be available to you when you need them without the fear of draining your assets.
What Are You Waiting For?
“Moving to a senior living community before your health requires it may sound overwhelming,” says Battey, “but so many seniors find that they experience a lifestyle that couldn’t be possible living at home. The advantages of senior living at a top community outweigh the concerns that would keep seniors stuck in a home and lifestyle that no longer benefits them.”
If you’re ready to start living the retirement lifestyle you deserve, the amavida team would be happy to help you learn more about Independent Living. Call us to discuss the options available at our community or ask questions about transitioning to a community lifestyle. We’re proud to partner with seniors as they discover the retirement of their dreams.
Keep moving forward. Call us today at 239-895-9191 to learn more about the community that’s changing the status quo of senior living.