6 Reasons for Retirees to Choose an Independent Living Residence

senior eating

So many retirees have looked forward to their ‘golden years’ only to find that they really aren’t as shiny as all that. They have dreamed of the days when they weren’t tied to an alarm clock five days a week and didn’t have to battle with rush hour traffic ever again. There would be no bosses to answer to and no going to work with a splitting headache. Those days have come but what they wouldn’t do for another day at work to break the monotony of seven days a week of cable television and watering the lawn. 

Of course, there’s always winter when they can shovel the walk and driveway, but why? There’s nowhere to go except the occasional trip to the supermarket. Perhaps it’s time to consider what life would be like in a community of residents who experienced the same old humdrum existence you are living. At least you could share common complaints! But is that what it would really be like in an independent living residence for seniors? There must be so much more to it, or it wouldn’t be quite as popular as it is. Let’s look at some of the most important reasons why retirees choose an independent living residence. You can see for yourself just why it’s such a popular option for other seniors like yourself.

1. A Sense of Community

Getting away from a sense of boredom is only part of the problem. Sometimes it’s the lack of camaraderie experienced in the workplace along with a social life at home. As you age, some of your friends have moved in with their adult children to make life easier on themselves and others have chosen to live in senior residences for the same reasons you are considering it today. Others yet, have sadly passed away to greener pastures and some you’ve lost touch with over the years. That’s one of the main reasons why so many seniors choose life in an independent living residence. There’s lots of really good independent living options in Florida if you love the great weather. It’s for the sense of community they have somehow lost over the years.

2. Graduated Levels of Care

Then there’s the fact that they aren’t getting any younger. At some point they will need advanced levels of care we don’t like to think about just yet, but it’s a reality we have to face at some point. Independent living in care homes offering bespoke personal care can be just what the doctor ordered – quite literally, that is! By choosing a residence with graduated levels of care, you know the services are there if, and when, you need them. That really is something that we all must face at this time in our lives.

3. No More Heavy Chores!

For just a moment, think about what it would be like to never again have to shovel a walk or mow the grass! That was something we ‘almost’ looked forward to except that it wasn’t because we enjoyed the heavier chores but rather to do away with the sense of boredom mentioned above. Still, taking out that big barrel of trash after we’d raked autumn leaves off the lawn was a bit more taxing than you might have liked. Now you can find other, more enjoyable things to do with friends you’ve made in the community. Isn’t that a better way of staving off the boredom than doing all those heavy chores? (Don’t get too complacent guys. There’s still a bit of dusting to do and beds to be made, but that’s something you can deal with, right?).

happy seniors

4. Meeting Nutritional Needs

Whether you live in an independent living residence where there is a dining area fully staffed complete with a head chef or not, there will always be a focus on meeting your nutritional needs. With that said, few senior residences don’t have community dining areas so that’s not something to think about just yet. There will always be a case manager and nursing staff on site so you will have the help you need to ensure your nutritional needs are met. Don’t worry just yet, however, because unless you have issues like diabetes, there’s no one to say you can’t have that bowl of ice cream while watching your favorite program on cable tv!

5. A Focus on Wellness Through Physical Activity

When living in your own home, you probably rarely got the exercise your body really needs at this stage of your life. Did you get out to take a good brisk walk several times a week? Did you, perhaps, do a bit of senior yoga to keep the limbs limber? You didn’t, by any chance, go to the local community pool for a few sessions of senior water aerobics, did you? Probably not to all of the above. This is something you will enjoy at a senior residence because all your newfound friends will be there and you can all get healthy together – before you wander home for that dish of mint chocolate chip ice cream, of course.

6. Keeping the Brain Active

Just as your body needs exercise to stay fit and healthy, so too does your brain. One of the major benefits of living an independent lifestyle in a senior residence is that it helps to keep the brain active. There is always some community event to take part in and even groups like book clubs and chess buddies to keep “the little grey cells” moving, as good old Hercule Poirot would say. There’s nothing to stave off senior dementia quite like keeping that brain active. This is something you can look forward to because there is so much to keep you occupied.

There really is no reason to dread another day of that humdrum lifestyle you’ve found yourself steeped in these days. There’s a senior community out there of folks just like yourself who found that the golden years can truly be golden if you find ways to fill them with the good things life has to offer. You might not need to set the alarm for another day at an equally boring job but set it you will! There’s always the group meeting for breakfast in the dining hall and that’s something you look forward to for a change. That’s what independent living is really all about.