By Bob Gregory
There are many options for retirement living and they range
from a beachfront home to a nursing home depending on the individuals age,
health and wealth. Today, a large
segment of Seniors are in a transitional stage of retirement living and an
Independent Living Facility may be just the right “move”! Seniors in good health are keeping their
homes longer and waiting to make the move to a retirement facility until they
need help or can no longer keep a large house on their own. This group of seniors is usually motivated to
move due to safety reasons or they just can’t manage a household. They are not ready for Assisted Living but
they are beyond the years of wanting the activity and excitement of a 55+
Community. So where should they look to
downsize and have safety, comfort and companionship? An Independent Living facility may be just
the right move for them.
My mother chose an Independent Living facility for herself
after she sold her home and decided to downsize. She first chose an apartment community where
some of her friends lived and enjoyed it for many years. However, on a dark and stormy night
(literally) she heard a knock on her apartment door and a young woman carrying
what appeared to be a small child was begging for help and to be let in out of
the storm. My mother, being an
untrusting person, peaked out the window and noticed a large man standing next
to the door out of sight of the peephole and immediately called the police. She was not hurt but the police told her she
had experienced a very common scam from potential robbers to gain entrance to
an elderly person’s home and commit robbery or worse. This incident caused us to reconsider where
my mother lived and we started our search for a secure community with amenities
more in line with my mother’s age. For
her and many seniors, an Independent Living facility was a great transition.
Here are some of the
advantages:
- Security and Assistance. Most Independent Living facilities provide apartments in a secured building or community. In the facility my mother chose, the entrances to the building locked at dark and a resident had to physically let a visitor in the door. Most Independent Living facilities have some type of security and many have on premise security guards. They also offer other safety features like panic buttons in the apartments to call for police and intercom systems to speak to guests trying to gain access to the building. The communities are also designed for seniors so they have no slip floors, wheelchair friendly apartments and plenty of hand rails and elevators.
- Amenities and maintenance. The majority of Independent Living facilities are maintenance free. If a light bulb goes out, someone will come and change it for you! Some facilities offer cleaning services as well. Many have small shops, hair salons and transportation services. Some facilities arrange for special delivery and pickup for laundry and pharmacy services. Most have outdoor areas and ardens to enjoy. Make sure you compare to find the facility with the amenities most important to you or your parent.
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| Independent Living Centre - Easy-grip cutlery (Photo credit: johnmuk) |
- Appropriate Peer Group. In an Independent Living facility you will find your neighbors to be in the same stage of life as you or your parent. Socializing will be easier as you will have more in common with your neighbors. My mother was part of a “buddy” group that watched out for one another. They would check on each other to make sure everyone was safe or well. These groups are very common and assure the residents someone is watching out for them.
- Activities and socializing. Almost all Independent Living facilities offer some type of activities. These range from outings to restaurants and theaters to in-house social (happy) hours and theme parties. I noticed a lot of the activities had to do with food and eating! There are usually scheduled exercise classes for all levels of fitness—probably because of the activities to do with eating and drinking! Most facilities have a common area with books, magazines, television and music to encourage residents to gather and socialize if they like. If the facility has a religious affiliation, they will have worship services on site.
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| Winter Reading Party (Photo credit: Lansing Public Library, Lansing Illinois) |
- All Inclusive Rent. You will find that most Independent Living facilities include everything in the monthly rental except for phone services. Utilities such as water, electricity and cable are generally included so the resident doesn't have a pile of bills to pay. Some will include housekeeping services if you elect.
You need to do your research and compare services and
amenities to make sure you are getting exactly what you want and for the right
price. Some facilities are even
subsidized by religious affiliations to provide a lower rent so you may want to
inquire. There is usually no restriction
on owning and keeping an automobile on premise as most residents are very
capable of driving. Not all welcome pets
so be sure to ask. There are also
generally age restrictions on household members so if you or your parent have
taken on the responsibility of raising a grandchild, you may not qualify. The Independent Living facility my mother
chose gave her all the amenities and security she wanted. It also allowed her to live independent for
many years before transitioning to an Assisted Living facility. For her, and hopefully you or your parent, an
Independent Living facility is a good move!
If would like a list Independent Living Facilities, Assisted
Living Facilities, Nursing Homes or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope
you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com.
If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas,
please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people
care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about.
We look forward to reading yours.
Bob Gregory is an advocate
for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated
to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide
their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or
other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com
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