Benefits of Moving to a Retirement Community
So many people think “home” and picture a house, but for many seniors “home” is a retirement community. Not 
because they feel like that’s where they have to live, but because that’s exactly where they want it to be. But there are several benefits of moving into a retirement community.
Senior living communities can get a bad rap because people’s minds often go to the worst-case scenario – being forced into an abusive, soul-killing nursing home by family that doesn’t want to take care of you. Not only do the vast majority of nursing homes not match that depressing image, but retirement communities couldn’t be further from it. With our help, families have shared over 130,000 ratings and reviews on communities all over the country allowing others to make much more informed and comfortable decisions for their aging loved ones.
Seniors today have a number of good reasons to consider moving to a retirement community. Here are a few of the main benefits that attract people to independent living homes.
Loneliness is a very real danger for seniors. Getting to and from places and keeping up with social activities often gets more difficult as you age, which puts seniors at a real risk of losing their social ties and falling prey to the health problems that come with loneliness.
Seniors that move into independent living communities before they ever reach that point never have to worry about that happening. They have a built-in community right there next door (and across the hall, and on the other side of the building). Keeping up with friends and doing something social every single day is not only easy, it’s hard to avoid in an assisted living or retirement community.
Your fellow residents quickly become like family and you have people there for you when it comes to the everyday tasks of life, like keeping entertained with games and hobbies, as well as when you need help with more serious issues, like a health scare.
Even for those seniors with family members they’re close to and can count on, having to be fully dependent on a spouse or kids can cause strain and guilt. A move to a retirement community keeps that from ever happening. Family members can come visit as much as they like, while knowing there’s plenty of trusted friends and staff around to ensure their loved one is taken care of.
- No more home maintenance
For any senior that hates raking the yard or having to fix the broken sink, moving into a retirement community where someone else takes care of all of that is a boon. Every time there’s a problem that needs to be dealt with, it’s someone else’s problem.
Some people love their home enough that having to deal with every little broken appliance and maintenance issue is worth it. But take a second to really think about how much nicer life can be without those things. No broken water heaters that flood your house. No lawn that needs to be mowed once every couple of weeks in the spring. No roof that needs to be replaced after a storm knocks a tree branch onto it.
To be clear, those things may still happen in the apartment a senior rents in an independent living community, they’ll just be up to someone else to figure out the solution for. Some people think of a move to senior care as giving up independence, but they don’t think through the freedom it brings – the freedom from the tedious tasks that come with homeownership.
2. Regular activities
Once you’re retired and have all the time in the world to do whatever you want with, staying busy can start to feel like work. If you’re spending a lot of that time alone in your own home, boredom can start to creep in.
Retirement communities have a wide array of built in activities to keep that from happening. From yoga, to movie night, to museum visits, to crafts, residents have a steady stream of different activities to choose from. Having lots of different activities readily available makes it easy for seniors to try new things. Maybe someone who’s never imagined being interested in woodworking realizes a passion for it because their retirement community exposed them to it.
It takes more intentional effort to be bored in a retirement community than it does to stay entertained.
3. Safety
The image of a senior that’s fallen and can’t get up has unfortunately become something of a punch line, but that shouldn’t take away from the seriousness of the possibility. A fall can have serious consequences for a senior, as can the flu, and any number of other health issues that seem run of the mill when you’re younger.
When a senior lives alone, a fall could mean death if a cell phone isn’t within reach or no one’s around to check in and find them there. An illness can quickly get worse if there’s no one around to help the ill senior get to the hospital or urge them to do so when they’re downplaying the symptoms as nothing serious.
These are real concerns that you can pretty much toss out the window when a senior moves into a retirement community. There will always be people around to help when something happens, so you can trust any senior living there is as safe as possible.
4. Flexibility
There’s not one way to live in a retirement community. Most independent living communities offer a number of options seniors can choose from.
If you never want to cook a meal again, you can eat meals prepared by staff onsite. On the other hand, if you love to cook, you can look for an independent living apartment with a kitchen and stick with doing it yourself. Retirement communities often provide transportation options, but also have parking spots where seniors can keep their own cars. They offer housekeeping services, but allow you to save some money if you would rather clean for yourself.
No one’s forced to accept all the possible services a retirement community offers, you can pick and choose based on what works for you.
5. Avoid moving
This is a key benefit for many seniors that choose to move into a retirement community fairly young. Many of them have assisted living and nursing care facilities as part of the overall community. That means, if you reach a point when you need a higher level of care, you don’t have to upend your life completely. You can just hop over to a different section of the community you’re already a part of.
Seniors can keep their social connections, continue to work with staff they already know and trust, and know they’ll get the continued care they need without being a drain on the family.
6. Independence
One of the biggest benefits of living in a retirement community is knowing you don’t have to lean on your family and friends for every little thing. No matter how much your family loves you, needing help with everyday care and activities can, and eventually will, put a strain on your relationships.
Retirement communities make it easier to get what you need from people that are specifically there to help. Your kids can keep living their lives while knowing you’re safe and happy.
Kristen Hicks
Kristen Hicks is an Austin-based copywriter and lifelong student with an ongoing curiousity to learn and explore new things. She turns that interest to researching and exploring subjects helpful to seniors and their families for SeniorAdvisor.com.
26 Comments
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I love the idea of flexibility in a retirement community. If I were to live in one I’d hate to be restrained to little options. When it comes time for my mother to go into one I’ll make sure the community has options to choose from.
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My mother is reaching the age where living in a house might not be the best option for her. You mentioned that there’s not one way to live in a retirement community. It seems that having a community with so many different options could be very beneficial. I wonder what options the local facility offers?
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My grandparents moved into an assisted living apartment complex and it really helped them out. Not only did they provide fun activities, but they also helped clean the apartment and provide companionship. Retirement communities can give seniors a chance to live independently and enjoy themselves. Thanks for sharing.
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Yeah it is Beneficial move in retirement community older people needs healthy and happy environment in that age.
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I definitely agree that regular activities are a huge reason for senior citizens to move into nursing homes. In my opinion, that consistent physical and mental stimulation will ensure that our loved ones are healthy for as long as possible. Plus, those activities would definitely make them happier, which is a huge bonus by itself.
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Yeah it is a beneficial move in retirement community.I really love the idea of flexibility in the retirement community.
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The businesses that manage these retirement places are in the business to make money. Services is not the best and often the worse. Management lets people move in their families at night and do nothing to stop it. Regular retirement apts. are not that good or safe. Truth is rarely told.
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Agree 100%
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i couldn’t agree more. I have no children and both of my younger siblings have special needs so I was alone
taking care of dad when he started getting sick. I had to make a fast decision to put him in assisted living. It was very stressful but I had to do it. The family home was not equipped and i could no longer help him on my own. I had to take time off from work,etc.etc. This really got me to thinking about my own future. I am in my late 60’s,still healthy and there’s longevity in my family(dad died just short of turning 92 and his brother was 98). The sad thing is,dad had no choice and he didn’t like being away from home. As for me,I am looking to move into a community that offers both independent and assisted living. On the independent side I can buy a house and then later,as my needs arise,move into an assisted living apartment on the same grounds. And,it will have been my choice. I am still young enough to establish relationships with new people so I should be able to
make it my new home over time. -
I couldn’t agree more. The stress of having to quickly find assisted living for my father due to circumstances
beyond my control made me think about my own future. I am single with no children.My two younger siblings have special needs and live in wonderful homes where they’re cared for and thrive. I was taking care of dad all on my own when he began getting sick. I had to take time off of work to do multiple tasks including cleaning,changing and feeding dad not to mention doctor’s and ER visits..After dad passed away I got to thinking about who will advocate for me? I am in my late 60’s now and there is longevity in my family. Dad died just before turning 92 and his brother was 98. The sad thing is,dad wanted to stay home but our family home wasn’t equipped for his needs. I have been doing online searches about multi-level communities which offer both independent and assisted living. My goal is to buy a home there and when the time comes, sell it and move into an assisted living apartment in the same community. By that time I will have forged relationships with the people in the community.Also,it will be my own decision. -
is there ANY bad stories about the same item? cause i have some that it’ll take me a while to describe..TNX
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I realize all the advantages of moving into a Senior Living Community. I also realize that the monthly cost is more than my monthly income.
What is available to me are facilities I would be very uncomfortable to move into, verified by friends who are living in them now. They are most unhappy and depressed! These wonderful Senior Communities are too expensive. It’s is similar to a salesman telling me how wonderful driving a Lincoln Ford would be, when I can only afford a small Ford. These Senior Communities with dinner service, for instance, may be really what I need, but really cannot afford. And I am not referring to high price communities with luxuries, but middle class ones, if I can refer to it in this way. -
I like that you included that retirement communities offer a variety of activities for their residents. It was nice that you included how home maintenance is taken care of for you when living in 55+ communities. My grandmother is currently living in her large home alone. It has been difficult for her to take care of her yard and her home as she gets older. It could be beneficial for her to consider moving into a retirement community.
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Thanks for sharing the benefits of living in a retirement community.
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My favorite part of this article is when you say that retirement communities are a great way for seniors to be social and do activities that provide exercise. My parents are getting older and are tired of taking care of their large home, so I think that a retirement community could be a great option for them. This way they can make friends and participate in activities and they would not have to worry about any home maintenance.
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That is a good point that a senior falling and can’t get up is a punch line and that it is unfortunate. It would be good to consider my grandma’s safety soon since she has been in that position. Maybe we should talk to a real estate agent to find a senior living community for her.
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I liked that you said that one reason to enroll a senior in a home is to give them socialization opportunities. I would imagine that living alon in your old age would be difficult. I would be sure to consider enrolling my elderly loved ones in a home to give them the opportunity to make friends.
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I like that this article mentioned that senior care facilities are built to be safe. My mother-in-law has reached the age where she can no longer live alone. We will be sure to do some research into senior care facilities in the area.
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I like how you mentioned no more need for home maintenance. My father is a fixer, and he is getting to the age where he just doesn’t have the strength to do the small tasks around the house or even try and repair something even though he would like too. I think a good retired living facility that fixes everything for him is what he deserves after the life he has lived helping others.
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It’s good to know that most retirement homes offer a variety of lifestyle options for seniors to choose from. My parents are getting older, and they need some more help with daily tasks, but they don’t want to totally give up their independence. I’ll pass this information along to them so that they can look further into their options for retirement homes.
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It would be nice for my grandma to have safety in her community. Maybe I should look into senior care sometime soon. This is something I am going to do sometime soon.
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My mom and dad are in their 60s and are looking to retire soon. Now they have talked about going to a retirement community. As you said here, going to one of these communities would provide them with a lot of flexibility. That way, they could decide on what services they want or don’t want within that community.
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I totally agree with you when you said that loneliness is a very real danger for seniors. My grandfather lives a few hours away from us and he lives alone. Now that we found out that he has a chronic disease, it might be a good idea to take him to an assisted living facility so that he can be observed 24/7.
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My husband has considered suggesting to my father that he should try meeting people of his age since they both discussed feeling lonely despite being with family and friends, but most of them are younger than him, and he feels very insecure about it. I never knew that his feeling of loneliness could be dangerous because he could develop health problems from this emotion alone. Maybe it’s time to suggest to him that he should live in an assisted living community so he’ll finally find friends who can actually relate to him.
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It’s great that you talked about how retirement villages makes it easier to get what you need from people that are specifically there to help. My parents are currently planning out for their retirement and they are thinking of going to a retirement village when the time comes. It sounds pretty good so I am thinking of supporting their decision.
