There’s a belief that senior living communities are only for long-term care. It’s one reason many older adults don’t consider moving to a community until they need care. That attitude can mean missing out on all the benefits independent living has to offer.
What is independent living?
The term independent living covers a variety of housing options for seniors. There are Life Plan Communities (also known as continuing care retirement communities or CCRCs) that have independent living options as well as assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing.
Typically, these residential communities offer an active lifestyle and freedom from the hassles of home maintenance. At EdenHill, our Independent Living residence options include luxury apartments and cozy cottages in a variety of floor plans and sizes.
Independent living services and amenities are designed to make life easier and more convenient. Housekeeping, linen service, dining plans, transportation services and security are common. Amenities often include a fitness center, pools, multiple dining venues, beauty and barber salons, woodworking shops, art studios or crafting rooms, and entertainment spaces.
You’ll also find an abundance of programming and activities to choose from.
- Fitness classes are adapted for seniors and range from chair yoga, tai chi and balance training to water aerobics, dancing, weight training and more.
- There are opportunities for creative expression in art, music and writing.
- You can keep sharp through lectures, seminars and classes offered by lifelong learning institutes or local colleges.
Why choose it now?
Why sell your house and move to a community when you’re healthy and active? If you talk to residents of senior living communities, many of them will say they wish they’d moved sooner. Here are some common reasons why:
- Simplicity and freedom – They don’t have to deal with the expense and hassles of taking care of the house or yard anymore. If they don’t want to cook, they don’t have to! They have more time to do the things they love and to pursue new interests. And if they’d moved in sooner, they could have been enjoying it for even longer.
- Staying active – “There’s so much to do here you can’t fit it all on your calendar.” It’s not uncommon for residents to realize just how little they were actually doing when they lived at home. With so many opportunities right at their fingertips, they can be as busy as they want.
- Social connections – The effects of social isolation can be devastating to your physical and mental well-being. As an independent living resident, social opportunities are built in to daily life, from informal get-togethers with friends to resident clubs, outings and parties.
- Access to care – As healthy as you may be now, you just don’t know if or when your health (or the health of your loved one) will change. If you move into a Life Plan Community as an independent living resident and your health needs change, you have priority access to quality care right there at the community. Making the choice to move early has been a blessing to many residents who had an unexpected health problem. They didn’t have to worry about where to find the care they needed, and didn’t have to move out to get it.
See for yourself
To truly understand what today’s independent living could offer you, take a tour of EdenHill Communities. Our sales team will be happy to arrange a tour and introduce you to some residents. We also have regular Tours of Homes events which give anyone interested a chance to learn more about our amenities and to see the apartments and cottages for themselves. If you’re interested in joining the next Tour of Homes event, contact us to sign up.
Adapted from WhereYouLiveMatters.Org