When most people think of retirement and senior living, they think of a boring place full of elderly individuals and a lot of boredom. This is, however, not the case as senior living communities have a lot to offer not only for the senior, but also for their families. Senior living communities no longer feel institutional anymore and range from homelike to posh, luxurious, high-end comforts of a cruise ship or hotel.
- Independent Living Communities
These are communities for active and healthy seniors who are able to live on their own. One can choose from townhomes, single-family homes, mobile homes, apartments or even motor homes. All these options come with the option of buying or renting and are usually restricted to individuals who are at least 55 years old. Some of the amenities in these communities include gyms, clubhouses, housekeeping, security, yard maintenance, transportation, laundry service and many social activities. Additionally, they come with 24-hour staff.
- Age-restricted Communities
These come in two options: age-qualified and age-marketed. The former refers to communities in which 80 percent of the households should have at least one individual who is at least 55 years old. The latter, on the other hand, refers to senior living communities that are marketed to seniors of a specific age group such as 65+.
- Lifestyle Retirement Communities
These senior living communities are for like-minded individuals who enjoy leading their lives in a certain way. Examples of these are singles-only, communities near or on a college campus or a university, faith-based communities, gay and lesbian-only, boating communities, artist communities, tennis and golf resort communities, among many others. They all come with amenities suited to the lifestyle preferred within the community.
- Senior Living Apartments
For seniors who would like relatively inexpensive, maintenance-free living, these are ideal. They offer amenities such as housekeeping, transportation, community dining and 24-hour emergency services. These apartments come in three categories: luxury, market and affordable apartments. Luxury apartments offer upscale amenities like spacious apartments, onsite pharmacies and state-of-the-art security. Middle apartments are relatively priced while affordable apartments are usually subsidized at the local, state or federal level. They are also income-based.
- Continuum Care Retirement Communities (CCRSCs)
These offer seniors the option of aging in place with different services offered within the same community. These include independent and assisted living together with nursing homes. As your needs age as you age, all these different services are available in one community to cater to you. Because all these services are available within one community setting, both residents and their families have greater peace of mind since the needs of residents will be properly catered to as needed. Due to the fact that CCRCs offer all-in-one senior living communities, they are slightly more expensive compared to the other options for senior living.
- Assisted Living Communities
These senior living communities provide some form of independence for senior residents living within them while offering assistance with daily living activities such as bathing and dressing among others. In such communities, amenities such as Alzheimer’s care, housekeeping, medication management, social and recreational activities and personal laundry service are offered at an extra cost.
- Nursing Homes
These offer intensive healthcare services for residents while catering to all their other needs. Due to the nature of care provided, they can be quite expensive.
Senior living communities have a lot to offer depending on the needs and preference of the senior in question. No matter the age of the senior, there is something for them guaranteeing that they will be well taken care of mentally, physically, emotionally and socially. Additionally, there is a wide price range to choose from depending on what one can afford.
Written by The Village Of Bedford Walk, a senior living community in Columbia, MO.