In 2021, Florida topped the list of states people are retiring to, according to a survey by United Van Lines. It’s understandable why retirees flock to the Sunshine State. Year-round good weather, ample outdoor recreation and low taxes account for just some of the reasons.
That helps illustrate why people are choosing Florida — but what explains the increasing number of older adults moving into one of Florida’s Life Plan Communities, also known as Continuing Care Retirement Communities, or CCRCs?
Here are six reasons why senior living communities offer remarkable benefits for any adult over 65.
Six senior living benefits
1. Instant socialization opportunities. One of the biggest benefits of senior living communities can be found in the last word of their name: community. Staying socially connected to others gets increasingly difficult as people age — yet study after study shows how being socially active has numerous mental, physical and emotional benefits. Residents of a senior living community benefit from having access to interesting fellow residents — not to mention events, clubs, hobbies, happy hours, themed dinners and many more possibilities to meet, mix and mingle with others — just outside the door of their private residence.
2. Physical fitness is a primary focus. Opportunities to stay fit at a senior living community are plentiful. That’s because almost every senior living community features a robust wellness approach along with impressive wellness amenities no matter the level of care you may be in. These sorts of on-campus conveniences may include things like a full-length pool, fitness center with senior-specific equipment, classes from yoga and tai chi to strength training and a certified wellness instructor who works with each resident to help them reach their personal wellness goals.
3. Countless possibilities to stay intellectually active, too. Today’s retirees have no intention of slowing down. In fact, many older people aren’t even retired, choosing to pursue new career paths or continue their longstanding careers into their 70s, 80s and even 90s.
For seniors with this sort of mindset, the benefit of a senior living community can be found in a quick glance of the community’s activities calendar, or a conversation with the activities director. Communities often feature lifelong learning opportunities, such as educational speakers and excursions to area museums and galleries; many senior living communities feature well-stocked libraries and business centers with computers and printers among their many common spaces for residents to use.
4. No more cooking, cleaning, housework or maintenance. If an older adult is looking for benefits of senior living communities, this is another big one. So consider this number: 10 hours a week. That’s the time homeowners ordinarily spend grocery shopping, preparing meals, cleaning up dirty dishes and tidying up the kitchen, dusting and vacuuming and scrubbing toilets and many other things that fall under the category of “housework.”
Those 10 hours don’t even account for interior or exterior maintenance, such as mowing the lawn, trimming the shrubs, doing the landscaping, fixing a leaky faucet, replacing light bulbs and furnace filters and addressing the honey-do list. Senior living communities take care of all this and more.
5. It’s one smart decision that takes care of many other decisions. Senior living communities are ideal for on-the-go, independent adults precisely because all the worries of a house are taken care of. But some people may have unfairly judged Continuing Care Retirement Communities, or CCRCs, by the name, because “continuing care” got top billing. And seniors may not need care now, or for several years to come.
However, today’s communities have evolved to meet the wants and needs of a new generation of active adults. Many communities have even renamed themselves as Life Plan Communities because they offer residents an independent and vibrant lifestyle now, plus the security of care if it’s needed someday. The “plan” part is important to note, because living at a Life Plan Community IS the plan: It represents one big decision
that makes other future decisions — Where will I get my care? Who will provide it? How much will it cost? — moot.
6. Freedom and control over the rest of their lives. Those who’ve chosen to move into a Life Plan Community like The Waterford in Juno Beach, FL, have discovered something non-residents haven’t: Complete freedom and control. They’ve turned over all the hassles of homeownership and traded that for a lively independent lifestyle. Residents know that if the time comes in their lives where they need additional levels of care, they have what they need right at The Waterford. They don’t have to make difficult decisions in a health crisis, or make family members make decisions for them.
These are just six benefits of a Life Plan Community like The Waterford. But they’re by far not the only benefits.
Perhaps you’d like to discover other benefits of senior living at The Waterford, like the variety of maintenance-free floor plans, the remarkable dining opportunities or something we haven’t yet talked about in this blog, the advantages of Life Care.
If so, we have the perfect suggestion for you: Simply contact us. Our senior living experts are happy to answer your questions, meet with you and your family and set up your personal tour of our senior living community.
