One idea that may have crossed your mind is moving to a senior living community.
A major advantage of living in a senior living community is that you can maintain your independent lifestyle without worrying who’s going to help you if you need assistance. Another advantage is ready access to peers and activities which makes it easy to maintain a social life and stay active.
However, despite these advantages, the concept of senior living is often misunderstood. Most of the time, misconceptions are perpetuated by people who haven’t taken the time to find out what modern senior living is truly all about.
Most Popular Myths About Senior Living
To help you gain a balanced view of all your options, here’s a short list of the most popular—and the most pervasive— myths.
1. Senior Living Communities are Depressing
If your notion of senior living is based on old memories of nursing homes, then you obviously haven’t paid a visit to a senior living community lately. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Boomers have reinvented the whole notion of retirement living and senior communities. Older adults these days choose senior living because that’s where they feel they’re most able to keep up the independent lifestyle they want.
What does that lifestyle look like? It’s active, social, and offers easy access to the resources people need to stay healthy.
2. There Won’t be A Way to Feel Useful
One falsehood about senior living is that there won’t be anything to do or residents won’t find purpose. On the contrary! Today’s senior living communities are buzzing with activity, whether it’s planned activities or residents enjoying an active lifestyle through sports, exercise, clubs, hobbies, outings, mentoring, volunteering, or attending classes.
3. It’s Too Expensive
Many seniors have already paid off their mortgages, but home maintenance can still take a major bite out of the budget. There are also utilities, insurance payments, repairs, and taxes to figure into that cost, too.
If you need a little help with personal care or daily activities, those costs can add up quickly. You may be surprised to learn that the average monthly cost of homemaker services in 2016 was $3,813.
Compare those costs to the national average monthly fee for living in an assisted living community: $3,628. Keep in mind that amount covers significantly more than just a roof over your head.
Assisted living fees often cover:
- well-balanced meals and healthy snacks
- personal care close at hand
- round-the-clock security
- caregivers to help with basic activities of daily living
- transportation
- medical reminders
- entertainment
- social network with other residents
- cleaning & laundry services
Some senior living communities provide even more for their residents, such as innovative wellness programs.
A New Approach to Wellness at Five Star Senior Living
Residents who live in a Five Star Senior Living community enjoy a wide variety of services and support. We provide wellness programs, upscale dining, nutrition options, and activities designed to develop mind, body, and spirit.
Through personalized service and support, each resident works toward self-fulfillment in all areas of living: physical, mental, and spiritual.
It’s called the Lifestyle360 program. Designed to enrich the lives of the people who reside in our communities, it’s one of the differentiating features of our communities.
Call us to learn more about our Lifestyle360 approach to wellness!