Senior Community Guide

Assisting seniors and all 55+ adults find and evaluate independent living housing options to meet their needs. Senior communities and facilities types include independent senior living centers, assisted living centers, senior apartments, continuing care retirement communities, congregate housing, and even active adult communities.

Senior Real Estate Specialists

-SRES designees often take more time explaining the process of buying and selling in order to relieve the anxiety caused by lifestyle changes. For this active market segment there is no stereotypical "senior buyer". Senior specialist know there are many reasons their buyers enter into a real estate transactions at this age - From death of a spouse, being closer to grand kids, or just downsizing to a smaller home with no maintenance an SRES is trained to help clients in their search for senior housing community. More...

Physical- by staying physically active at a senior independent living facility, a retiree can prevent degeneration of muscles, bones, and other vital tissues. This truth is backed up by the National Institutes of Health which states that even moderate physical activity can improve the health of frail seniors or those with diseases like diabetes and heart disease which affect older people.

At a senior living community, you benefit from organized water aerobics, yoga, cycling, walking trails, and sometimes even dancing classes. These are all supervised by trained professionals so you really reduce your risk of injuring yourself doing these exercises. You also benefit from trying out new things which is good for the spirit. Accomplishing a new feat such as learning a new dance step or beating your old power-walking time provides a sense of achievement which is good both physically and spiritually.

Physical activity is also good for preventing the wasting that’s all too common in today’s seniors. With longer life expectancies, many people are living longer in numerical terms but aren’t living the quality of life due to physical wasting caused by inactivity. At a senior living facility, the exercise coordinators and doctors design exercise plans that focus on the four major focus areas for seniors which are strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance. Weakness in these four areas is usually a major culprit in falls, joint problems, and other ailments which commonly affect seniors.

Social- the social aspect inherent in a tight knit community of retirees like you is extremely important during retirement years. Although many people “retire” to their houses and watch TV or other non-exerting activities, losing out on the life-long social networks that a career usually provides can lead to mental problems like dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. When the brain is not engaged in social interaction, there’s a good chance that the sharpness and mental acuity go away.

According to the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a group of friends is more likely to increase the life expectancy of a senior than close relationships with family. This isn’t to say that family isn’t important but it was found to not matter anywhere close to having a strong network of friends. This is built into a senior living community since there are so many people living in them that you can become friends with. This positive effect on longevity is still the same after major life changes like the death of a spouse or family member. This is the power of friendship!

The reasons for this increased longevity are speculated upon by the study’s authors. They hypothesize that friends encourage each other to take care of themselves and push their friends to go to the doctor sooner to prevent serious diseases from developing. They also are there to provide a shoulder when someone loses a loved one. This socially embedded nature is built into an independent living community.

Overall, retiring to a senior living community is a big decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. There are many forms of retirement which include staying in your house, moving in with family, and also choosing to live in an independent living community. There are pros and cons to each of these decisions but choosing to live in an independent living community can increase your life span due to the social network and physical activities that they provide. This is especially helpful for those who’ve lost a lot of friends or who have moved to a new town for their retirement. The “club” like feel to these communities and their scheduled physical and social activities make them an attractive choice. Studies have shown that the social interaction can increase longevity even after the death of a spouse and other milestone events. You should strongly consider moving to a senior living community since they will take good care of you and provide the things that make life longer and full of happy years.

First of all, the first thing you should look at when you first enter a senior community is the dynamic with the staff. Do they look like they're enjoying their jobs? Do they look stressed and exhausted? Are they making an effort to build rapport with the residents? These are all small but important details that you'll have to take into consideration if you want to feel welcome in your new environment.

If you're choosing the senior community for your parents, please take time to take their feelings into consideration since they'll hopefully be living with these people for a long time, so think about parents before you think about your wallet... If your parents are rather independent, you can always consider a senior independent community. Senior communities are like small gated communities where retirees can enjoy their freedom while being under the supervision of well trained professionals that will cater to their needs.