Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of life in an independent living facility is the low-maintenance lifestyle it affords seniors.
Seniors who previously owned a single-family home may find that life feels a lot easier once they move into a retirement community, with fewer of the everyday hassles of homeownership.
These services and amenities don’t just leave more room for residents to enjoy their everyday lives. They also offer opportunities for seniors to travel without worrying about hiring house sitters, getting someone to water the plants, paying bills and more.
Services and amenities designed to create a lower-maintenance lifestyle include:
Housekeeping
Community security
Home maintenance and repairs
Today’s senior living communities go beyond low-maintenance living, though.
They’re often designed to feel a lot like resorts, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy your retirement in your own ways. (After all, retirement should be fun — you’ve earned it!)
Activities and amenities
Most independent living communities offer plenty of programming that allow residents to keep enjoying their retirement lifestyle, filling their days with activities they love.
What might you find on a lifestyle calendar? Here’s a sampling:
- Book clubs and scripture reading groups
- Current events and political discussion groups
- Foreign language classes and conversation practice
- Wine tastings
- Group outings to symphony or theater performances
- Volunteer opportunities in the nearby community
Independent living communities also offer lifestyle amenities on site that you might find at a standalone gym or country club:
- Golf and tennis courts
- Bocce or pickleball courts
- Swimming pool (indoor or outdoor)
- A gym or weight room
- Group fitness instruction (think Zumba, tai chi, chair yoga and more)
- Beauty salon or spa
- Libraries and reading rooms
- Rooms that can be reserved for private entertaining
Dining
Also included in seniors’ monthly independent living fee: opportunities to explore new flavors and cuisines!
Independent living communities offer chef-prepared meals in restaurant-style dining rooms with plenty of options to suit their residents’ varied tastes. You can try new things or enjoy your favorite meals.
Plus, there are menu options available for residents with specific dietary needs, from kosher to gluten-free and more.
Social benefits
It’s important to maintain strong social ties as you get older, so one of the biggest benefits of independent living communities is the built-in social network they offer their residents.
Many seniors risk isolation and loneliness as they age, which correlate with poor physical and mental health, according to a 2020 study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
A 2011 Gallup survey, however, found that participants 65 and older who socialized with others every day reported higher levels of enjoyment and happiness.
In a retirement community, because you’re living in close proximity to many fellow seniors, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to make new friends who could be golf partners, dining companions, book club buddies and more. Some independent living communities for seniors even assemble resident welcoming committees to help new residents feel more connected to their new community.
Health and wellness benefits
We’ve already mentioned that a retirement community’s built-in opportunities for social connection can offer benefits to emotional wellness, but these communities offer more straightforward health and wellness benefits, too:
A philosophy of wellness: Many retirement communities offer wellness programming designed to support seniors as they age. This can include fun group fitness like Zumba, functional fitness classes to help residents maintain their quality of life, and even swimming in pools with salt-filtered water to relieve achy joints and promote general relaxation.
In-house clinics or wellness centers: Many communities have health clinics on site, staffed by a registered nurse, to help residents stay healthy between visits to their primary-care doctor or specialist providers.
Additional care, should you need it: In some senior living communities, you may even have seamless access to additional assistance or higher levels of care, should you need them.
In a Continuing Care Retirement Community, for example, seniors enter into independent living but can access the continuum of care on a single campus, including assisted living, skilled nursing and memory support, often with little to no increase in monthly fees.
Life may look different in a lot of ways when you move out of your home into an independent senior living community.
It’s a shake-up to the life routine you’ve known for many years. But most of the changes you’ll experience will be overwhelmingly positive.
As you begin to reach out to and visit independent living facilities, ask the sales team about the benefits of living in their community. No matter how long their list, remember what’s most important: Which benefits, services and amenities are most important to you?
We have plenty of free resources on our website to empower you to make the best choice for yourself in the next phase of your retirement. Why not start with our Senior Living Guide?
Glad to be connected!
There’s a lot to consider when embarking on the next phase of retirement—and contacting us is a big step. (Well done!)
We’ll be in touch soon to share expert insights and resident perspectives that we hope are helpful, and one of our team members will also be reaching out to answer any questions you may have.