Have you been thinking about maximizing your free time and minimizing inconveniences? With such a wide range of living choices available for seniors, it can be a challenge to identify your best option. If hobbies, amenities and multiple levels of onsite health care match your dreams, flexible plan retirement communities offer exciting opportunities.
The structure of plans and expenses can vary greatly among retirement communities. While some prioritize flexibility and inclusion, others have defined levels of service that require large deposits upfront. Look for communities that have the ability to tailor housing, resources and amenities to fit your budget and your bucket list.
Many communities offer single-family homes, apartments and studios with choices to purchase or lease. If you are an avid gardener, having a single-family home with your own backyard to plant your favorite perennials is important. If you want to leave behind house chores and cooking, consider leasing an apartment with easy access to the community restaurants.
Are you a homebody who likes cooking and crafting with an occasional neighborly chat over the fence? Or is retirement your opportunity to kayak in the morning, meet friends for lunch and take a hobby class in the afternoon? Maybe having the freedom to choose any of those options is your ultimate retirement dream.
Staying active and engaged is one of the best gifts you can give yourself at any age. Take time to think through how you want to spend your days. A simple task like grocery shopping can become a big deal if the time and activity is frustrating. During your dream retirement day, are groceries delivered, do you take your golf cart to snag some spinach, or is driving down the highway a few miles more your style? Decide what activities you want to do more often and what you want to spend time dealing with the least. It is a good thing to know if you prefer eating out with friends over cooking at home when you are assessing senior living communities and the amenities they offer.
In your search for the best match for your dream retirement, the lists of resources and amenities can become overwhelming. One way to assure you are staying true to your plan is by making lists of your “must-haves” and another list of “nice to have.” If you have a pet that has become a member of your family and you cannot imagine a day without them by your side, then “allowing pets” is on your must-have list. If you are an avid reader but prefer your Kindle to books, then an onsite library is nice to have, but not a deal-breaker. Compile your lists ahead of time and modify them as you go.
One of the benefits of flexible retirement communities is the ability to customize your health care resources as circumstances change. There may be times when you need temporary help after surgery or an accident. Most communities offer choices of in-home care or receiving skilled nursing at an onsite rehabilitation center.
For couples, flexible care helps in a multitude of ways, keeping you close together while each receives individualized support. On your must-have list, include potential resources for the future that one or both may need. Standard health care services, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, assisted living, and memory care are support services included onsite in retirement communities dedicated to maximizing resident choices.
Knowing that life is full of compromises, look for communities that best match your must-have priorities. Your favorite community may not have water aerobics but offers pickleball instead. However, if having allowing pets is on your must-have list and you find that same community welcomes your furred family member, you may have found your ultimate match for senior living.
You are your own best advocate for assuring both current and future needs are available at your favorite retirement community. The most important aspect is making choices for the way you want to live, the amenities you want to enjoy and the kind of community you will be happy to join!
You may be interested in a flexible, inclusive community with a wide range of housing, health care services and amenities located in gorgeous north Florida.
Advent Christian Village is a unique faith-based community that gives you freedom of choice, from comfortable assisted living to memory support and skilled nursing. Call today at 1-800-647-3353 or click here to schedule an appointment.
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