As you watch your parents get older, you can start to think about what the future might look like as they continue to live at home. Will they keep up with their friends and their typical Monday breakfast meet-ups if they can no longer drive? Will they feel lonely at home as the family gets busier and is unable to visit regularly? How will they manage their health as they continue to get older?
Senior living communities are an excellent solution to your worries because they offer reassuring answers to all of these questions for both residents and their family members, as well as a lifestyle that is unmatched when compared to living at home. Making a move to senior living is a big transition, and the idea can be met with some resistance from older adults and their family members. However, much of that reluctance is due to old stereotypes that simply are no longer true in most senior living communities.
We’re here to offer you a pleasant surprise or two as we review a few things you might not associate with senior living.
Senior living communities are like a town within themselves, complete with friendly neighbors, regular routines, and special events. However, when someone moves into a senior living community, they don’t just leave the larger city they love. In fact, senior living communities offer more opportunities to connect with the greater city they are in.
You might be surprised by the ways senior living communities can be plugged into the cities where they are, providing residents the chance to continue enjoying everything available in the nearby area.
Residents can volunteer at local organizations by donating supplies to the animal shelter down the road or knitting blankets for the maternity unit of the town hospital. In addition, it is common to find residents supporting local businesses by jumping on the community bus to go shopping at their favorite stores and dining at their favorite restaurants. They attend new business open houses and fun events like wine tastings or beer pairings. Offsite excursions are a fun way for residents to connect with the greater community and support local businesses while attending live concerts, farmer’s markets, or other events.
Senior living residents can also learn more about their town and contribute to local history by inviting experts to give presentations about the town as well as adding their own memories through special interviews and projects. Finally, residents often support kids in the community by attending Little League games and inviting preschool children to stop by for read-aloud sessions and craft projects.
Life at a senior living community is about experiencing life with your next-door neighbors as well as the people who live down the street or across town.
It is common for many people to think that once someone moves into a senior living community, they lose a lot of control over their environment and what comes next. This assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.
Senior living communities welcome residents to voice their opinions, tell team members about their preferences, and take on leadership roles within their community.
For example, many communities have Resident Council committees that focus on addressing community issues or bringing concerns and potential solutions to administration. Residents that participate in Resident Council or other committees are an agent of change and can often see the results of their hard work immediately.
Team members at senior living communities also encourage residents to bring their own talents and passions to their neighbors. For example, at Cedarhurst of Columbia, team members supported resident Dr. Richard Hart as he brought his idea for a community butterfly garden to life. He shared his passion with his whole community, bringing an unexpected burst of color and life to his neighbors.
Resident-led communities are more vibrant, more exciting, and more interesting than communities where team members are the only ones taking the lead.
One major obstacle that can prevent adults and their family members from seeking senior living is the concern about finances. This is a common concern, because most seniors are worried about outliving their money and want to ensure they are spending their retirement funds wisely.
Most seniors and their family members are pleasantly surprised to realize that senior living offers more financial predictability than living at home, especially if they are living at home with some type of paid assistance.
While living at home means fluctuating monthly bills and unexpected house maintenance expenses, Cedarhurst Senior Living communities offer a simplified approach through a monthly fee that covers almost everything. This monthly fee can include rent, utilities, Wi-Fi, care assistance, and dining, which makes it easy to know what expenses will be for each month with minimal surprises. Not every senior living community uses this simplified approach, and we are proud to make budgeting a bit easier for those we serve.
Financial reassurance is also readily available at Cedarhurst communities thanks to our signature Cedarhurst Promise™ program. New residents receive a 60-day, money-back guarantee that gives them the breathing room to get settled in the first few months without worrying about what happens if they don’t like their new home.
The best senior living communities never expect new residents to assimilate into their community. Instead, the team looks for ways to ensure the lifestyle provided at the community is tailored to each individual’s preferences and needs.
Sure, there are exciting and stimulating group events that neighbors attend and experience together, but a well-rounded lifestyle isn’t only large group programs. It is the small groups and individual interactions that happen in between the happy hours and local excursions, highlighting the diverse interests each resident brings to the community.
At Cedarhurst Senior Living communities, team members and residents enjoy LIVING TRUESM with tailored opportunities, carefully crafted sensory experiences, and other opportunities that show every member of the community that they are loved, valued, supported, and living life to the fullest. In an assisted living community, for example, you can find residents Living TRUESM with live performances from favorite local entertainers or residents leading book club discussions or art workshops. In a memory care setting, Living TRUESM looks like team members bringing a resident their favorite hot tea before bedtime or using their favorite lotion for a spontaneous hand massage and manicure.
Person-centered care begins with getting to know each individual resident. At Cedarhurst communities, we ask each resident to complete a Resident Story so that we can get to know them from the start. We want to know how they like their coffee, how they love to spend their days, and their favorite foods. These small bits of information help us shape a personalized approach that is just for them.
Senior living communities offer wellness resources and amenities designed to support older adults as they live life to the fullest. However, life at a community is only sweetened by the on-site theater, salon, and beautiful outdoor spaces.
The real heart of senior living is the opportunity to connect with others, live a personalized lifestyle, stay connected with a larger community, and make positive changes, all while enjoying the financial reassurance of a single monthly fee.
Did we surprise you about some of the hidden benefits and perks of senior living? We hope so! We love sharing the truth about senior living and breaking down old stereotypes one at a time.
Learn more about senior living and how to get started with your own senior living journey for your loved one with reliable information from our experts.