Tips for Deciding If the Senior Living Lifestyle is What You Really Want

Senior living communities today aren’t just about housing, they’re designed to offer a lifestyle option that’s more convenient, active, social, and engaging than you may be able to achieve at home.  

If you’ve been researching senior living, likely you’ve discovered all the features and amenities available in communities to back that up. But is the senior living lifestyle the right choice for you? Consider these things to find out.

Consider What Help You Need at Home

The first step in determining if the senior living lifestyle is right for you is to assess whether your needs can be met at home by answering these questions:

If you’ve answered mostly ‘yes’ to these questions, and realistically these needs aren’t or can’t be met as well at home then senior living might be a better fit. If so, keep in mind there are actually different types of senior living, of which independent living, assisted living, and memory care are the most common. The differences between them are primarily defined by the level of care offered with independent living residents able to live independently, assisted living offering support with daily activities, and memory care providing 24/7 support exclusively for those with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.

Consider What You Want from the Senior Living Lifestyle

Now that you have a better idea of the type of community that would fit your needs best, it’s time to consider if the senior living lifestyle offers what you want from daily life. Since memory care is a specialized environment, the lifestyle will be different so we’ll focus on independent living and assisted living as they offer similar amenities, features, and conveniences. Here’s what you can expect from the senior living lifestyle in these types of communities:

• Freedom – Home maintenance, weekly housekeeping, linens, as well as restaurant-style dining and transportation are provided for you as part of the senior living lifestyle so you’ll no longer have the burdens of home ownership and chores weighing on your shoulders. Instead, you are free to spend your time on the things you really want to do!
• Connection – Isolation and depression are common among seniors living at home; particularly when living alone after a spouse passes, and can negatively impact your health and well-being. Social opportunities are a huge part of the senior living lifestyle as you have a range of social events, activities, and outings as well as clubs, classes, guest speakers, discussions on current events, and more from which to choose. Not to mention plenty of beautiful common areas in which to socialize and/or host family and friends.
• Purpose – At home, it can be hard to find purpose, but the senior living lifestyle offers a range of options to keep you engaged through educational and enrichment programs as well as opportunities to volunteer, continue hobbies, and find new pursuits.
• Convenience – This is one of the biggest draws to the senior living lifestyle as communities like ours offer amenities like spacious accommodations in 26 different floorplans from which to choose, multiple dining venues, and even concierge services. Not to mention an onsite beauty salon and pharmacy with delivery, plus transportation to Roanoke Valley’s best shopping, dining, and entertainment just minutes away. While you may have some of these options in your neighborhood at home or nearby, it’s rare to find them all right outside your door like they are with us.
• Wellness – Wellness is at the heart of the senior living lifestyle. From our fitness program that includes strength, cardio, and balance components as well as health and wellbeing services plus a state-of-the-art fitness center to our chef-inspired menus prepared in collaboration with a nutritionist or dietician, the environment here makes it much easier to stay healthy and active.

• Peace of Mind – Many communities offer multiple levels of care on the same campus which is an invaluable comfort knowing all your needs can be met in one place, without the worry of moving again. Specifically, our community also provides home care services that help keep you independent for as long as possible as well as award-winning therapy services as part of the senior living lifestyle. Plus, our community is designed with accessibility features as well as emergency response systems which are often extra expenses at home.

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