One of the only certainties in life is that nothing ever stays the same. An important skill we must master to efficiently navigate life is to expect and adapt to change.
A spouse may unexpectedly pass away. You could make a fortune or lose your job and become homeless in a heartbeat.
And we are all going to age. As much as we would like to believe in the fountain of youth, or products that claim to slow aging, no human being will ever escape the chains of time and aging.
One day in the future, you will end your working life and become retired, if you prepare for it. And living in a retirement home or community may be a more affordable option than continuing to live on your own.
But retirement community living can be such a life-altering change that some seniors reject the idea outright.
Before you do, here are four reasons why living in a retirement home has its benefits.
Affordable
The average cost of living in a retirement community can range between $1,500 to $4,000 monthly on the low end to about $10,000 monthly for the more luxurious communities.
So, if you could only afford $1,500 monthly, then it would cost you $18,000 annually. The typical annual Social Security benefit is $18,612, or about $1,551 monthly.
If you could afford $3,000 monthly, then it would only cost you $36,000 annually to live in a retirement community.
The average retiree needs $40,000 annually to live in a high-cost-of-living city.
Low-maintenance living
One of the hardest parts of getting older is getting older. As we age, the human body is literally falling apart and failing in slow motion.
No matter how healthy you are, your stamina will slow. An aging body is more likely to get sick, develop diseases and ailments, and suffer from brittle bones.
You won’t be able to tend to maintenance on a house, or car, or lift things as easily as before.
Most credible retirement communities have staff people who take care of all basic and major maintenance issues. Maintenance people will be in charge of mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, unclogging drains, repairing appliances, and so on.
Over 100 people over the age of 40 die every year while trying to shovel snow from their homes or walkways. Over 3 million elderly people are treated in hospitals annually due to falling. Over 95% of hip fractures are caused by a nasty fall.
Living in a retirement community could be added insurance against injuring yourself while doing maintenance chores.
On-site nurses and personal aides
Most retirement communities feature on-site and 24-hour on-call certified nursing assistants and personal wellness assistants. Retirement communities are usually equipped to shuttle residents in need of medical care quickly to local medical clinics or hospitals.
Nurses or personal wellness aides can help residents bathe, get dressed, eat, or assist them in engaging in daily activities.
Engaging social life
According to the CDC, about a third of people over age 45 are lonely. Over one-fourth of people over age 65 are considered “shut-ins” or socially isolated. And about 50% of elderly people who are socially isolated from the world are more likely to develop dementia.
Adults, and especially older people, get lonelier as they age. Friends and peers, move away, become estranged, or die. Society and culture changes as new generations of young people come into being which makes the world seem alien.
Some elderly people don’t know how to make sense of the new world around them, let alone reach out and make new friends.
Retirement communities created social activities regularly to encourage residents to meet and interact with each other. Senior citizens who are socially active, are continually stimulated mentally, and have friends are less likely to develop dementia.
