The Simple Benefits of Senior Community Living vs. Aging at Home

Soon after the nest empties and your employed life becomes a distant memory, many seniors are stuck asking the same old questions. Where will you retire? Will you join community living or age on your own at home? 

Everyone has reasons for either wanting to move to a retirement community or staying in a familiar setting. However, potential future health issues can urge some people to make moving a priority sooner than they planned. Most seniors will eventually need some sort of assistance with daily needs, either at home or in a community setting. This calls for a conversation between family and caregivers to consider the social, financial, and medical implications of each decision. 

Benefits of Senior Community Living vs. Aging at Home

Facts First

Before we get into the minutia of senior living, let’s make sure we are on the same page with a few facts first:

• Roughly 90% of seniors plan to remain in their current homes for the next 5-10 years. Of these seniors, 85% believe they can do so without major home modifications. 
• The most common reason people want to stay in their homes is that they want to be where they are comfortable. 
• About 65% of older individuals between 60-70 find it easy to live independently. However, for those over 70, only 43% do.
• Over 25% of seniors in their 60s believe that their communities will not have the resources to help them age well.
• 50% of seniors think their communities offer quality public transit.
• About 25% of seniors feel they could not move if they wanted to due to the cost of moving and fear they could not sell their house.
• Home modifications for aging seniors can cost anywhere from $10k-100k.

Social Circles

Staying social as you age is vital to aging well. For those who choose to remain in their homes, many make that decision based on staying in their comfort zone. It could be that they enjoy a property that allows for large gatherings and entertainment. It may also help them maintain their relationships with neighbors and other community members in the local area. Frequent visits from children, grandchildren, and close relatives might be their idea of happiness.

However, social isolation is a leading problem with older adults. As going outside may become more difficult as you age, the risk of social isolation increases. For some seniors, the decision to stay in your home may contribute to your isolation. Physical limitations can make it harder to keep in touch with the friends you used to, especially after 70. That’s without even considering the likelihood of losing friends at that age as well. Community living makes it much easier to make new friends. Retirement often means losing touch with co-workers and other business associates which means making new friends can be exceedingly difficult.

Moving to a senior living community can help mitigate this issue.

Emergency Planning

One thing to consider is how close family and friends actually are to your residence in case of an emergency. If your caretaker is a non-relative, you may not be a top priority in their life no matter how physically close they might be. Even very close friends will have their own priorities and responsibilities that limit their ability to help at any moment. 

Fortunately, technology has caught up to some of life’s complexities with aging and allows individuals to live independently longer. Things like home sensors can help you age in place and assist in an emergency when a caregiver is not on hand. 

At a senior living community, you often won’t have to worry about a lack of help if you need it.  There is usually someone on hand to help should you sustain a fall or experience some other trouble in the late hours of the night. Many communities are equipped with home monitoring and well-staffed with caregiving associates should anything untoward happen during quiet hours. 

Self Care

There are many reasons self-care might drop off as you age. You might be afraid of falling in the shower or perhaps mobility issues are making it hard to put on fresh socks. Whatever the reason, it is somewhat common for self-care to suffer as you age. 

Assisted living at Twin Towers can certainly help you maintain a certain level of care. Even if you aren’t in assisted living, the on-site salon makes general upkeep like haircuts and manicures a hop, skip, and a jump away. 

Getting Around Easily

The everyday maintenance of your home can easily become a burden once mobility issues set in  Though you may be able to rely on friends and family for a little help around the house, this solution may not be indefinite. You can certainly hire help to assist you in home maintenance, but this option can be pricey, and coordinating schedules is a pain.

On the other hand, Twin Towers offers maintenance-free living. This means the community’s associates provide services to maintain your house for you rather than you needing to maintain it yourself. 

Security

Is your neighborhood as safe as it once was? Consider that older adults are often targets of and vulnerable to crime. A home security system can help assist with your physical safety, but it is a safer bet to make sure another responsible adult is prioritizing all areas of your safety. If you are living alone or with another aging spouse, you should never give out personal information like social security and credit card numbers.

These scams can still target you at a senior living community, though a scammer’s physical access to you is more limited. Also, Twin Towers has a security system to help keep you safe.

Home Modifications

As you age, your health and mobility needs may change. This change can necessitate certain changes to your home. These essentials may include widening doorways for wheelchairs, installing ramps, putting safety bars in the shower, and making adjustments to kitchen countertops. All this can cost a substantial amount of money.

Fortunately, Twin Towers apartments and independent living homes come safety equipped in these areas. 

By choosing our continuing care retirement community, you’ll be making one decision that comes with countless benefits. From independent and assisted living neighborhoods to skilled care, memory support, and even rehabilitation services. You’ll have the support you need when you need it.

Wondering if your parent or spouse might be ready for assisted living but don’t know what the next step is? Check out our free eBook, Assisted Living and Older Adults!