Moving to Independent Living is a Good Next Step
Spring is a special time of year, daffodils, tulips, cherry blossoms, they all are so fresh and new, just what we need after a cool, wet, grey winter. A fresh start.
As mentioned in a previous BLOG, spring is a good time to put your house on the market, especially now with low interest rates and very few houses available for sale. Houses are selling for way over the asking price. Now is the time to sell—but what next? For many seniors moving to retirement living is a very good option.
Envision waking up and hearing the lawnmower outside your apartment and knowing you don’t have to do yard maintenance, somebody else does it. Imagine walking down to a beautiful dining room and having a breakfast of your choice that you don’t have to cook. Imagine planning your day to include news group discussion, bridge, bingo, a live performance by Jack the guitarist and happy hour followed by dinner with a group of friends. Sounds like one of your favorite vacations, your cruise to the Caribbean. Retirement living is much like a cruise without the ship or seasickness.
Many seniors who are tired of home maintenance, yard maintenance, cooking and who are feeling isolated will benefit from moving to independent living. There’s staff to do all the chores they hate allowing them to enjoy socializing, doing activities or just sitting in their private apartment reading, doing crossword puzzles or just watching TV. Independent living is just that, seniors are independent and are free to do whatever they want whenever they want. They just don’t have to worry about the ‘chores’ of life in their home. Independent living apartment rates include cable TV, Wi-Fi, all utilities, light housekeeping, meals, activities, transportation, entertainment, pretty much everything but a phone.
There are a lot of studies that show that seniors who are living in their own home are at increased risk for loneliness and social isolation because they are more likely to face factors such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and hearing loss. An independent living community allows seniors to get out of their homes, to meet new people, to socialize with others of their cohort, to enjoy activities with others while still having a private apartment to go to for alone time. It’s a win-win.
It’s never too early to start looking at that next step. We highly recommend having a plan and knowing the options available. It’s much better to have looked at independent living communities and know where you want to go rather than having somebody else make that decision for you, especially if it’s a time of crisis like a hospital stay.
Liz at Right Fit Senior Living Solutions can help you find the right fit. She knows the independent living communities in the Portland metro area, their costs, their amenities, and their culture. Best of all, Liz is paid by the community into which her clients move, she never charges her clients for her services. Call her today at 503-567-7268
Liz Fischer is a Certified Senior Advisor ® and a Certified Placement Referral Specialist. She has owned Right Fit Senior Living Solutions for 6 years and loves what she’s doing.