Aging With Your Partner in a Senior Living Community

Blog Category: Lifestyle

If you and your spouse or partner are ready to age well together, you’ll want to consider your long-term options. A senior living community can be the one-stop shop for aging gracefully, so you’ll have what you need at any stage of life. Here are some benefits of living in a community with your partner, what to prepare, and how to manage with different levels of care.

Benefits of Moving to a Senior Living Community With Your Partner

Many people fear the stigmas of senior living communities, but they’re an engaging place for anyone, singles or couples! Here are the many benefits of moving to a senior living community with your loved one:

  • You’ll have more time to spend with your partner and continue your companionship now that you don’t have to worry about home maintenance or other big life decisions.
  • You’ll expand and strengthen your social connections through many opportunities, including events, outings, and programs.
  • You’ll have access to onsite gyms, walking trails, swimming pools, and exercise classes to stay as active as you like.
  • Your care coordination becomes more simplified and accessible since the staff and resources are readily available.
  • Your friends and family, especially adult children, will have peace of mind knowing you and your partner are enjoying retirement in a safe and secure home.
  • You’ll have access to a complete continuum of care on the same or different levels and still feel connected and fulfilled.

What to Decide With Your Partner Before Moving

Whether you’re starting your senior living community search or want to cover your bases, here are some things to think about when settling on your perfect living situation:

  • Consider enlisting the help of family or a neutral party, such as a doctor, geriatric care manager, or social worker, to create a plan around your interests and goals.
  • Use trusted advisors, such as financial experts, to do some fact-checking and verify that you’re on the right track.
  • Assess your current or potential needs for housekeeping, mobile devices, supportive services, mental health, medical conditions, and dietary or nutritional requirements.
  • Prioritize your lifestyle choices and account for your finances.
  • Establish living preferences, how you intend to move in together, and how you will accept and manage living in different levels of care if that happens.

Living in Different Levels of Care

Many couples, especially when they’ve been together for decades, have a hard time imagining living separately from their partner when needs begin to differ. Here are how couples thrive while living in different levels of care:

  • There is familiarity and comfort in having all levels of care under the same roof in the same place you are, so it’s not as high of an adjustment for your loved one, and you can still see them easily.
  • Family and friends can still easily visit both of you in the same senior living community, and it can be a sweet reunion having everyone come together to see your partner in their level of care.
  • There are opportunities for you and your partner to go on outings and attend events that you can do together as a couple, on your own, or within your area of living.
  • You and your partner receive the right kinds of services and resources that help you maintain as much of your independence as possible, creating a dignified and supported lifestyle that works for each of you.
  • Routines can easily be established to accommodate how and when you want to spend quality time together and do things on your own.
  • The well-trained staff onsite to care for your loved one allows you to release your caregiver duties and continue to be their partner.

Wondering what your future has to offer in your golden years? Learn about aging on your terms with our free ebook, What are My Senior Living Options.

At Life Enriching Communities (LEC), we’re committed to ensuring patrons feel well-equipped to plan their future and age how they wish. Explore more resources on senior living or contact us today to learn more about our legacy of services and programs that bring meaning and purpose to every stage of life.