You had a plan when you went to school and a plan when you went to work. It’s important to have a plan for senior living, too, just like you have for every other significant stage of your life. Here are ten reasons to start planning in your fifties or sixties for your senior years:
1 – Seniors’ choice!
You’ve probably been making your own decisions since you graduated from high school. There is no reason for that to change now. If you make senior life plans early, you’ll be taking charge of your own destiny. If you make them later, some of the decisions may fall to others. Senior living is all about making the most of every day. The sooner you invest in it, the more you’re going to get out of it.
2 – Celebrate your independence
“Independent Living” is a place in life where people tend to have less work and more time. Life Plan Communities help you take advantage of this time with amenities, programs, and lots of new friends, along with everything else you’ve always enjoyed. Love learning new things, entertaining in your home, serving on committees, working, or volunteering? These can all be part of your Independent Living experience.
3 – Charting the next chapter
With enhanced amenities, activities, and services, a Life Plan Community may act as a springboard to the next big thing! Opportunities in the arts, humanities, technology, and fitness abound… and now you have time to pursue them!
4 – Maintenance Free
Congratulations! You have officially retired…from housekeeping. You are independent…of lawn care. When you opt for a Life Plan Community, you can down-size your to-do list to include only the things you really want to do. The maintenance of your home and yard is taken care of for you.
5 – Set a new personal best
Fitness centers, libraries, art studios, and other dedicated Life Plan Community spaces can help you build on current strengths. And, because these spaces are usually under the same roof as senior living apartments, it’s easier than ever to strive for your personal best.
6 – Bon Appetit!
Some seniors hang up the pots and pans when the kids leave home, opting for less structured – and sometimes, less healthy – meals. Life Plan Communities can help by providing nutritious, chef-prepared meals served restaurant-style. Do a taste test when you’re shopping for senior living. And consider the perks: No chopping, no cooking, no clean-up!
7 – Welcome to the community – for good!
It’s called a Life Plan Community for a reason. People usually move in for LIFE. It is designed around a PLAN to support all levels of living. And it is more a COMMUNITY than most other living/housing arrangements you’ll ever experience – with amenities, services, and gathering spaces right where you need them. Best of all, Life Plan Communities typically include Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Long Term Care on a single campus, keeping transitions between living levels easy.
8 – Take care
If you’re like most people, you probably know that aging doesn’t happen in a day! Physical, emotional, and cognitive needs may present themselves over an extended period of time. If you live in a Life Plan Community, you’re around professionals and other residents who can help you navigate care resources to help you feel your best.
9 – No Place Like Home
When you’re recouping from an illness or injury, there’s no place like home. If you’re in a Life Plan Community, you can contract for Home Health, Private Duty, or on-site Rehab in the place you feel most comfortable. Life Plan Communities sometimes offer their own services. You may also contract with outside providers. Either way, help is never far away.
10 – Your neighbors are right there with you!
Life Plan Communities offer as much or as little socialization as you want. If you need your privacy, apartments are designed with that in mind. If you want to socialize, it’s easy to find others who share your interests. Senior living proves time and again that it’s never too late to make a new best friend!
Lutheran Senior Services (LSS) owns and operates eight Life Plan Communities throughout its Missouri-Illinois service area, providing tasteful housing and enriching programs in Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Long Term Care. For a full list of communities and additional senior services, please visit www.LSSLiving.org. Personalized tours are available.