How to Find a Senior Living Community That Fits Your Lifestyle
Choosing a senior living community is an essential step in planning for your future. The right community isn’t just a place you’ll call home, though; it’s where you’ll build a life you love.
When you begin your senior living search and start compiling a list of potential senior living communities, you may find it useful to narrow the options using practical, subjective criteria, such as limiting your picks to places where you can access multiple levels of senior care within the community. (Remember, more options for future care means a more solid, stable plan for your future needs.)
Ultimately, however, it’s the lifestyle factors that will help you determine which community feels most like home. Identifying your priorities will help ensure you’re selecting a community that matches your vision for an ideal retirement lifestyle. Your life experiences and needs may mean you prioritize certain aspects of life differently than others might; the key is identifying what matters most to you, so you can create the best retirement lifestyle for you.
Location
Just like choosing a home and neighborhood in your earlier stages of life, the location of your retirement community significantly influences your senior living lifestyle. Climate may be a consideration if you have certain health concerns like asthma or allergies, and you’ll need to decide if you’ll be happiest in an urban setting or a suburban neighborhood. You might also feel drawn to certain geographic features, like the mountains or the ocean.
Many seniors who prefer life near the water choose Bradenton and nearby Sarasota for the plentiful entertainment and lifestyle options they offer, including museums, theater productions, shopping, dining and, of course, beaches. Choosing senior living communities in these locales puts you in proximity to popular attractions like Pittsburgh Pirates spring training, Manatee Performing Arts Center and the Gulf of Mexico.
Services
Choosing a community with robust services means choosing less responsibility and more time to spend doing the things you enjoy. Services like indoor and outdoor maintenance, housekeeping, and access to a concierge are just some of the services that make for a carefree retirement lifestyle. It’s also worth exploring services that protect your safety, such as security and emergency response systems.
Amenities
The services may be what makes life easy, but the amenities make it more rewarding. When you’re evaluating a community’s amenities, think about what you’ll enjoy exploring, discovering, learning and sharing with others. Some amenities may be physical structures, like dining venues and fitness centers, while others may align with specific interests, like a woodworking shop or community rose garden. Collectively, these amenities define a community’s culture and give you a sense of how you’ll fit in, since others who share your interests are likely to be drawn to the same offerings.
Wellness Programming
As an older adult, dedicating more time and attention to your well-being is a proactive way to protect and even improve your quality of life. A community that allows you to explore multiple dimensions of senior wellness will help you achieve greater balance and fulfillment in your physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, vocational and environmental wellness.
Pet Policy
If you’re a pet lover and own a pet now or think you may want to add a pet to the family in retirement, you’ll want to ensure the community you choose allows pets. It’s a good idea to ask about policies and restrictions (such as breed and weight). You’ll also want to explore what pet-friendly amenities are available, such as walking trails and doggie parks, whether on the community grounds or nearby.
Start Planning Your Coastal Retirement
If coastal living is your retirement dream, you’ll discover a retirement lifestyle where you can embrace each enriching day well into the future at Freedom Village of Bradenton. Our maintenance-free senior living options ensure you have plenty of time to get acquainted with your neighbors, explore our 34 sprawling acres, and discover balance through our holistic approach to wellness. Meanwhile, our thoughtful attention to detail means we’re prepared to satisfy your every comfort and convenience. Connect with our team to learn more about the incredible senior living lifestyle our residents enjoy.
