If you or your loved one wants to enjoy life without the burden of house maintenance and yard work, an active senior living community could be the perfect fit. These communities offer laundry and meal preparation services and care for landscaping and home maintenance, making life easier.
Look for conveniences like pharmacies onsite, fitness centers and outdoor trails, yoga and other lifestyle programs, and guest lecturers.
Socialization
One of the best things about active senior living is that your loved ones will be surrounded by like-minded friends in the same stage of life and interested in similar activities. They can create new friendships that inspire them to pursue old hobbies and explore new ones.
In addition to a lively calendar of daily and weekly events, assisted living communities often offer lifestyle programs. These can focus on a particular interest, such as health and wellness or culture and art.
They may include wellness classes and other activities, including social trips to restaurants, parks, and other destinations. With these comforts, elders can find it easier to live an active lifestyle and go outside without worrying about housework or lawn care.
Health and Wellness
Senior living is the perfect choice for people looking for a lifestyle-oriented setting with added wellness, socialization, and life-enhancing programs. They might require a different degree of help with daily living activities than those offered in a skilled nursing facility or by a CCRC, which provides campus long-term care and nursing services. Still, they want the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the care they need is available within the community.
Physical wellness includes healthy eating, exercising regularly, and limiting harmful habits. Senior living communities like Westminster Towers provide wellness options like exercise classes, onsite beauty salons, and convenient grocery stores.
They also inspire seniors to get moving with walking trails, scenic parks, and various recreational opportunities. This prevents loneliness and keeps seniors intellectually engaged, which can help them maintain cognitive sharpness and reduce the risk of dementia.
Physical Activity
Active communities typically have perks like swimming pools, onsite beauty salons, restaurant-style dining, and fitness centers. Many also offer social calendars designed for seniors’ needs and interests.
Regular physical activity has several health benefits, including a lower risk of depression and several chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults perform 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity each week. They should also perform muscle-strengthening activities two or more days a week.
Senior active living makes it easy to meet these recommendations with exercise classes and community outings in beautiful, walkable spaces.
Convenience
Many seniors choose to move into senior active living because of a desire to enjoy a hassle-free lifestyle. No more mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, or painting and decorating. Instead, they can focus on pursuing their hobbies and enjoying social activities that bring them joy.
The monthly leasing charge of these communities usually includes access to a range of amenities. They can include swimming pools, beauty salons, restaurant-style dining, and more. And with a busy calendar filled with social events, there is always something fun to do.
To find a community that’s right for your loved one, schedule tours and ask plenty of questions. During these visits, get a feel for how accessible the building is for your loved one and the extent of medical care offered onsite.
Safety
Assisted living communities have safety features designed to protect residents from injury. They may include ramps, low-entry walk-in showers, handrails, and wider hallways. Residents also have access to onsite staff and emergency call buttons.
Loneliness can be a severe problem among seniors, especially those who live alone. Senior living communities help prevent loneliness with social activities, outings, group meals, and other community events.
Sorting through a lifetime of possessions, packing, and moving is stressful for anyone, but it’s even more challenging for seniors with limited mobility or cognitive problems. Moving into a senior living community eliminates that worry and provides the best lifestyle for your loved one. With their needs met in a close-knit community, they’ll have plenty to look forward to each day.
Photo by Georg Arthur Pflueger
