When you hit your retirement years, you want to make sure your living situation best accommodates your lifestyle. This may mean staying in the same home you’ve lived in for decades or looking for new opportunities in a community setting. As you weigh the options, discover the differences between living in a community and staying at home.
4 Factors to Consider When Deciding Where to Spend Your Retirement Years
Your retirement years present a whole world of opportunities. Without the same daily grind of a 40-hour work week, you’re free to spend your time doing the things you really care about. One of the biggest factors in this process is deciding where you should call home. Here are four of the biggest factors older adults consider in figuring out where to spend their retirement years.
1. Social Interaction
As we age, social dynamics tend to change. It might mean children have become adults and started their own family or close friends and neighbors have moved elsewhere. With fewer familiar faces nearby, feelings of isolation can start to increase when living at home.
Unfortunately, this can lead to detrimental health effects in older adults. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found isolation in adults age 50 and older leads to health risks that may rival those of smoking, obesity and physical inactivity. Community life helps counteract this with a robust selection of social opportunities geared around your interests.
2. Available Budget
Finances tend to be an important factor in most major decisions. For many older adults, retirement means living on a fixed income and having a careful budget. While having a mortgage paid off can be a big advantage of living at home, you also have to consider the cost of maintenance. Should the roof need to be replaced or a pipe bursts, do you have the cash available to deal with such major repairs? Often, community life is more financially predictable and doesn’t come with unexpected expenses.
3. Mobility and Maintenance
A large family home may be filled with memories, but living there alone means you have to keep up with all the maintenance. For those who have limited mobility, it may be nearly impossible to mow the lawn or shovel snow as frequently as is needed. Living in a large space can also come with challenges like getting in and out of the shower or scaling the steps several times a day. In community living, many of these obstacles are eliminated. There’s no landscaping or house cleaning to be done, and residences are designed for safety and accessibility.
4. Skilled Care Needs
Sometimes where you live can make a big difference in the choice between community life and staying at home. For those in more rural regions, access to doctors, specialists and even medications might be more challenging to come by. It may also be more difficult to find skilled in-home care that can meet your needs. In a community setting, professional care is available around the clock. Even though you may not have a need for professional care now, it’s important to consider what you anticipate needing in the future.
Why Choose Community Living?
Leaving somewhere you’ve called home for decades can be an incredibly difficult decision. You could also have concerns that choosing a community for older adults may be limiting to your independence. While everyone has to determine what’s right for their specific needs, here are some of the many advantages community living offers:
Increased Independence
It’s not uncommon to be concerned that leaving your home for a community setting will limit your independence. In actuality, most communities are focused on supporting independent living. They eliminate the tedious day-to-day tasks of home ownership and allow you to spend your time doing the things that are most fulfilling to you.
Make New Connections
Making deep connections and forging friendships can become more challenging with age. Living in a community with other adults of the same age and with similar interests removes this barrier. Many residents find this environment helps foster some of their most meaningful relationships.
Focus on Wellness
Wellness is at the core of every aspect of community life. This includes everything from physical fitness to engaging intellectual activities. With so many options at your fingertips, you don’t have to worry about finding time to drive to the gym or prepare healthy meals. You can customize a plan that supports your goals and enjoy it with others who share your same aspirations.
Minimal Maintenance
After spending countless summers pulling weeds and raking leaves, some elements of home life are easier to leave behind than others. Living in a community eliminates these sorts of tedious chores, providing skilled professionals to handle them for you. With less time spent on maintenance, you can use that time to pursue your passions.
Custom Care Programs
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to community living. Though there are numerous skilled care resources available around the clock, you get to choose which are right for you. Each wellness plan is customizable, and can be adjusted as your needs change over time.
How to Choose the Right Community
Making the choice to move to a community can sometimes seem overwhelming. With so many options available, how do you know which one will be the right fit? If you’re considering moving to a community for your retirement years, these are steps you can take to aid your search:
- Visit the community in-person and get a feel for the environment.
- Research the surrounding cities, towns and neighborhoods to understand the area.
- Seek testimonials or feedback from other residents about their favorite aspects of the community.
- Consult with trusted friends and family for additional perspectives.
- Get detailed information about the costs and financial commitments required.
- Learn about the community’s activities and amenities and if they match your interests.
- Understand the care options available and if they meet your current and future needs.
- Have an open and honest conversation with community team members, asking any questions you have.
What The Stayton Offers Residents
At The Stayton, we work tirelessly to create a community that supports the lifestyle our residents want to live. With an outstanding location right in the heart of downtown Fort Worth, TX, and the West 7th Cultural District, the city offers endless opportunities to engage in your favorite activities right outside your front door.
While the city is always accessible, the community life at The Stayton is equally rich. Thanks to partnerships with numerous local institutions, we regularly have renowned speakers and artists visiting our on-site performing arts theater and creative arts center. Our community also offers a wide variety of classes to help you learn new skills or enhance your existing talents.
Fort Worth is known around Texas as a culinary destination, and The Stayton is no different. We have several different chef-led dining venues to enjoy, including our famous top-floor Skyline Restaurant and top-shelf Sky Lounge. Located on the 11th floor, they provide some of the best views in the city.
As a luxury community, wellness is at the core of everything we do. Our caring team offers a wide range of skilled health services that provide tailored, individual attention. The goal is to help you continue living independently and doing what you love most, while adapting care to support your specific needs.
We understand the decision to stay at home vs. live in a community can be challenging and requires careful consideration. Our friendly team is here for you every step of the way. We’re standing by to answer any questions you have about life at The Stayton. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at your convenience and get the conversation started.
