When your home can help
Consider the benefits of living in a retirement community
Have
you ever wondered what it would be like to move to a retirement community? Several factors make it a sensible option to think about. Here are some things to consider.
Overall health
Research studies suggest there are several core benefits to living in a retirement setting.
A primary benefit is the intellectual and social engagement that helps maintain your cognitive status and supports emotional well-being. These cognitive and emotional effects are also known to contribute to increased longevity.
The second is the hidden benefit of being able to age in place without having to make additional housing transitions, especially to escape the hazards that stairs can pose.
Those that have made the move find that the convenience of amenities and reduction in home maintenance is incredibly liberating and is a boost to mental health.
Getting what you want
Research from the Urban Institute shows that 60% of retirees move to downsize their living space. With ever-increasing housing options, the opportunity to have your move contribute to an enhanced and healthier lifestyle couldn’t be better. A convivial atmosphere is available if you want to be social. And if you want to stay to yourself, you can retreat to a beautiful and spacious residence with such a bountiful array of included amenities that even your kids will be envious of your new digs.
Finding a good fit
Retirement communities are available in as many forms as there are locales — from urban high-rise buildings to suburban apartments and cottages. Ask questions of yourself to determine what will make an appropriate fit for you.
The ability to continue your individual interests and social relationships should be present in the prospective locations that you are considering. Do you like to have exchanges with other people who enjoy actively trading and investing? Are you a history buff? And what about options to get help after surgeries or for future care? Are there on-site care providers available? Is there an assisted living program in or near the building? What is the sense you get of the activity level of the building? Be sure to tour your favorite properties a few times, at different times of the day.
Enlisting the services of a Care Manager can make your search more informed and efficient. Each property has its nuances, even among properties owned by a single national company. Care Managers have an intimate understanding of both the management and the population of a community and can offer insight into locations that would offer the most appropriate fit for you.
When to start looking
Moves motivated by a health event or the death of a spouse often tend not to be as thoroughly researched, with decisions being made from a place of urgency or necessity. Eric Klein, Senior Care Consultant with Care Patrol Chicago North Shore says,
“Families ask when they should start looking for retirement or senior living options. I often tell them as soon as possible — while they still have their independence and options available, and don’t have to react while they are in crisis when choices may be limited.”
Life after the move
You probably know more than one person who lives in a retirement community. And they are most likely living proof of what studies indicate.
As a matter of fact, 91% of respondents in a comprehensive senior living study were “completely” or “very” satisfied with their retirement community. The landmark longitudinal study by The Mather Institute in Evanston delivers additional insight by indicating that residents of retirement communities report better social, physical, intellectual, and emotional wellness compared to their peers residing in the community at large.
A perfect example of a proactive couple are Don and Barbara Enns. After residing in their home for decades, they originally intended to live in a condo before moving to a retirement community. They put their name on a waiting list at Lake Forest Place, and a cottage became available sooner than they expected. They were in their late 60s at the time, and have now lived there eight years. “It occurred to us that moving would be a tremendous undertaking,” says Don. “But realistically, we knew that it would only get harder as we aged. We wanted to make that decision for ourselves and not do it at a time when our children would have to make the choice for us.”
Lessons learned
Many retirement communities are seeing a boon in sales since COVID restrictions have eased. Lydia Morris, Marketing Director at The Lodge of Northbrook, notes, “A number of our incoming residents have expressed that they felt too isolated in their homes during the pandemic restrictions and that they don’t want to be in that position again.”
The pandemic may have provided us with poignant insight into the personal effects of isolation, reminding us that we are all social animals. It is healthy to embrace our basic human need for connection and recognize that it is this interdependence that supports our independence, especially as we age.
The elders in our families are most often who we turn to for wisdom and comfort as we navigate life’s major moments. Our parents and grandparents are a stable presence, offering guidance and support. Many of us are never truly prepared for the day when those roles reverse.
For Linda Sheff and her sisters, Nancy and Leslie Friedman, that day came when their mother, Harriet, began to show signs of memory loss. Confronted with a challenge they had never faced before, Linda and her sisters sought guidance on how to best care for her.
From in-home care to a range of community living and care choices, the family had many options. But they ultimately agreed that the right senior living community could provide their mother with the support she needed and allow their father, Richard, to continue offering emotional support without being a full-time caregiver.
“This was certainly new for us,” Linda says. “I started talking to a social worker to understand the disease and its progression. The next stage was navigating and finding a facility that would be a good fit for her. The one that really struck me the most was Belmont Village Senior Living.”
The family’s journey to find the right senior living community and memory care program for their mother was, at times, overwhelming. But as the search progressed, they learned what was most important to
look for in a community.
SIX BENEFITS OF SENIOR LIVING REGULAR SOCIALIZATION
Living at home alone can lead to isolation and loneliness that often exacerbates other health issues
and accelerates cognitive decline. The Friedmans had each other, but their socialization needs were very different. The immediate goal for the sisters was to find the right care option for their mother, but they knew they also wanted a place where their father
could thrive as well when he was ready to join her. The right community would offer opportunities for regular
engagement with others, suited to each of them.
DAILY ACTIVITIES
Residents should be offered a stimulating daily calendar of educational and creative activities to engage mind, body, and spirit at every stage. A comprehensive
calendar offers myriad ways to learn new skills and experience new things—helping improve brain health.
“Once my father decided to move in, his engagement level increased. He’s made good friends and is still very active at 95,” Linda says. “For my mother, the memory programs gave her structure, and the staff adapted activities to her ability, every step of the way. What we loved most was
that my father was able to join my mother in her activities, so they were still able to spend her final years together.”
AGING IN PLACE
Essential to the daughters was that their parents could continue to age under the same roof, even as needs changed. Because Belmont Village communities are licensed for a high level of care throughout their buildings, both parents could remain in the same community through every care stage.
“The most important part of the search was a continuum of care,” Linda says. “Belmont Village has assisted living for those like my father and, for my mother who had Alzheimer’s, they have multiple levels of dementia care. It’s not one-size-fits-all.”
FITNESS PROGRAMS
Look for an on-site fitness center with dedicated programs for cardiovascular and strength training. Activities should also work mind and body together
for improved brain health. Belmont Village offers onsite physical, speech, and occupational therapy, which, for Linda, meant that the Friedmans wouldn’t have to
leave the community if they needed therapy services— an added level of care.
NUTRITIONAL DINING
For seniors living at home, meal times can be stressful and hard to manage, especially when one partner is the caregiver for the other. Belmont Village provides gourmet meals that are heart- and brain-healthy. They also accommodate special diets, so meals are not only nutritious, they’re enjoyable again—a muchanticipated social time for residents.
CARE
Many families realize they need help to provide the best care for their loved one when daily medical care needs become too much for family members to handle.
Make sure that the community you choose can meet your loved one’s needs. Around-the-clock—licensed nurses on-site 24/7, along with a trained care team, can reduce ER visits and re-hospitalizations.
“It gave me such peace of mind to know my mother was getting the care that she needed and the love that she needed,” Linda says. “A year and a half after my mother moved in, my father moved in himself. What was so wonderful about that is they were able to spend every day together. That really was such a gift.”
For Belmont Village, health and wellness is a way of life. Recognized as an industry leader, they offer a daily Whole Brain Fitness program that engages residents and provides socialization for all activity and cognitive levels: from self-directed programs for independent
residents who want to stay active and maintain mental acuity, to Circle of Friends®, a dedicated sevenday program for Assisted Living residents with mild to moderate memory impairment, to more tailored care
plans for late-stage memory loss.