Guide to Senior Retirement Living Options
As the baby-boomers begin to retire, there are increasing options for housing for seniors and the elderly. Unlike in past years, the nursing home is only for the very infirm and elderly. Retired individuals have a range of opportunities, from staying in their own homes to living in facilities that offer care for different levels of need.
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Instructions
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Sit down with your significant other or family and work out a plan for your retirement years. It does not have to be highly detailed, but it does need to cover how to handle different situations that may arise. Where do you want to live as long as you remain healthy? What if one of you becomes ill? What type of housing do you prefer? Do you both want to be in the same facility, even if your degree of health differs? How long do you want to stay in your own home, if possible? What climate do you like best, and do you want to move? Do you like living in a high-rise? Do you like living in a separate unit or a condominium? All these questions are important when deciding the best place to retire.
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Look at your options if you want to stay in your own home. See if your house can be made more accessible by adding ramps, making the bathrooms easier and safer to use, moving the bedroom from the second to first floor and having the clothes washer and drier in an appropriate location. If you need to stop driving, you will need places within walking distance for food, health care and entertainment. Can you afford to have someone come into your house and provide needed home health care? Is there a bus that can pick you up and bring you to the shopping areas? What adult daycare options do you have at the senior center?
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Check out the 55-plus retirement communities. Called ''active adult" or ''age-restricted" communities, these developments are especially common in suburban cities and towns where land is more available. The residents often can choose among a few different home styles. There are normally recreational benefits, such as a swimming pool, tennis, golf and a social hall. Some of these 55-plus communities are apartment buildings, condominiums or townhouses. These provide less privacy, which some people want due to safety reasons. Each of these communities also has its own list of regulations on what is and is not acceptable by the homeowners. Read everything you can about the housing, talk with other residents and meet the officers, if there is a board that oversees the facility.
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Give thought to whether you need assisted living now or in the near future. These facilities are for people who want to live as independently as possible but need assistance with what are called "activities of daily living," such as getting dressed, taking medicine and having a bath. Assisted living does not replace nursing homes. Rather, it provides a bridge for the gap between living entirely on your own and living in a nursing homes. Most assisted living facilities provide options for medical care, dining options and social interaction. Many are affiliated with nursing homes, so residents can make the transition if and when needed. Most assisted living facilities help you develop a service plan with your specific personal and health care needs.
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Tips & Warnings
As you get older, update your retirement plan. This will help others in your family know your wishes for care.
