You’ve spent much of your life saving for your retirement, but have you actually planned what you’re going to do when you’re an older senior? What made sense when you were younger and raising a family may not make sense when you’re an older senior and an empty-nester. Your old family home makes up a significant proportion of your savings and isn’t necessarily in the right location or featuring the right design as you get older.
One option every senior should consider is independent living senior apartments. These are age-restricted communities where you can downsize into a smaller apartment with a number of senior-focused amenities, classes, recreational programs, transportation services, and meals, often served in a communal dining room.
When you’re looking for senior living apartments, consider features like proximity to family, ease of access to shopping and medical offices, recreational programs, the quality of the food, and the type of apartment you want to live in.
But what is life like in an independent living retirement community? It will feel like a change, but overall, it’s a good one for seniors. Here are three ways you can improve your physical and mental health, mood, and overall quality of life once you make the move to senior housing.
Stay Active
Unfortunately, age brings some deterioration to your muscle strength and bone structure. Staying active can help you fight back and restore that strength. An active senior lifestyle will help you maintain your independence.
Senior exercises should focus on balance, mobility, cardiovascular health, and improving strength. One way is through chair exercises that help you safely exercise. When you’re researching your options for senior housing, ask about the exercise programs they offer. Many retirement residences pride themselves on providing tons of options for senior-focused exercise classes.
Stay Social
Social connections keep seniors healthy and senior living apartments make it easy to find new friends and stay socially active. There’s high value to cultivating social capital in your senior years. An active social life can keep you healthier and happier. It can help you stay more mobile and form connections with the place where you live.
Ask retirement residences about social clubs and activities. Whether you want to join a morning walking club, knitting club, or you love playing cards, find a place that offers the activities that appeal to you.
Give Back to the Community
Finally, giving back to the community through volunteering, charity knitting, or similar activities can give you purpose and meaning long after you’ve retired from your job. In addition to pursuing hobbies and leisure activities, giving back to the community can keep you feeling purposeful.
In addition to staying active, staying social, and volunteering your time, you can click here to learn more about senior living advice and find out how to make the most of senior living apartments. New senior housing options make it easier to live independently for longer and age in place if you do develop a need for care and assistance. It isn’t hard to get more out of life in a retirement residence!
