By Bob Gregory
I know the title seems to simplify the whole quandary of how
to live long and happy but when you choose your retirement home, stimulation is
the key! Retirement means so many things
to so many different people that it is really hard to define. For most, it means the time of life where we choose not to work any longer and enjoy
our free time until we leave this world.
In today’s economy, more and more people are delaying the time they choose to retire for financial
reasons. We seem to have a much older
retirement population than in the past as concerns of money to support a
retirement life style causes most to continue working to their later years. According to the Gallup Economic and Personal
Finance survey, the average U.S. retirement ages is now 61, up from 57 two
decades ago. Further, non-retired
Americans now plan to retire at 66 or later. So how does a later retirement
date impact retirement years? It’s simply
physiological—everyone’s body and mind changes with age so the longer you wait
to retire, the more likely your body and mind will be affected by the aging
process!
Here are some very
important factors when choosing your retirement home/setting:
 |
| TRICYCLE CLUB OF THE CENTURY VILLAGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY MEETS EACH MORNING - NARA - 548572 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
v
Physical
Stimulation: If you are at the age where you pay close attention to
commercials on TV or on the web advertising retirement living, then you
probably have noticed they no longer depict a couple sitting in a front porch
swing watching clouds pass by while sipping coffee. Retirement living is very different today as
we better understand the role of physical activities in living longer and
healthier. Because of this fact, it is
very important to choose a community where you will remain physically
active. Physical activity does not
necessarily mean you need to have a strict workout regimen at the gym every day
or take spinning classes. Instead, you
need to find activities you enjoy and that do not become a “requirement” of
your daily life. For those of you that
find a daily workout regimen at the gym or spinning classes enjoyable—I applaud
you! For the rest who of you who do not
want to spend your time in the gym, look for a community that provides fun
activities you enjoy such as tennis, golf, walking, dancing, horseback riding,
biking, swimming and so on. There are so
many choices in retirement communities today and you are sure to find one that
accommodates your taste in physical activities.
You can also find retirement communities that are located near your favorite
activities if the community itself does not provide the activities you
seek. I also encourage you to
participate in physical activities that require socializing to help stimulate
your mind!
v
Mental
Stimulation: We all know how
important it is to keep our minds sharp and some retirees-to-be wonder how they
will transition from the “work world” to retirement where the misconception is
they will wander mindlessly around a retirement village. Retirement communities are filled with fun
physical activities as I discussed above and today, more retirement communities
are also focusing on the mental stimulation as well. Many communities offer book clubs, current
event discussions, social functions for interacting, community governance commitees,
organized speakers and lectors, poetry writing clubs, access to a wide variety
of periodicals and journals and more than I can list. It is also important that you take
responsibility for your own mental wellbeing and find activities that will not only continue to stimulate your mind and help you grow as a person, but will be
enjoyable and
 |
| Book Club (Photo credit: Editor B) |
rewarding. Today, most
communities are looking for retired individuals to volunteer to teach reading,
writing, mathematics, and computer skills to children and adults. Communities seek volunteers with the time and
skills to help others in the community.
There are quite a few mentoring programs that most communities seek help
to staff. There should be little excuse
for you to sit around and do nothing with all those wonderful years of
knowledge you have accumulated—share some of it with those who need it!
Staying active in your retirement years will help assure you
will have a long and healthy retirement.
Keep in mind that it is not only physical activity but mental activity
as well that you need as you live on.
There are many options in retirement living and you will be surprised
how the industry has embraced the need to stay physically and mentally
active. Further, make sure that the
retirement community you choose is also located near outside activities you enjoy
such as plays, concerts, and community services. Take the time in your research to find
retirement communities that offer both types of stimulations that suit you
best—you will be happy you did for a lot longer!
If you would like a list Independent Living Facilities, 55+
Communities, Assisted Living Facilities 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
