Understanding the Senior Living Pros and Cons

Choosing where to spend your retirement – in your home or in a senior living community – can be a daunting task. But sorting out the senior living pros and cons can help make it much easier. By weighing what you want and need against what senior living has to offer you will quickly find the perfect solution.

Remaining independent

Among the most discussed of senior living pros and cons is the topic of independence. Back in the day, a move to a “nursing home” meant losing the independence you have at home. But that is no longer the case. Senior living communities today emphasize independence by making life easier and relieving residents of all the burdens of living at home and providing a carefree and active lifestyle. Senior living residents at every level of care benefit physically and mentally with onsite amenities like exercise centers, classes, entertainment, and more.

Find out just how different senior living is in the 21st century in our blog, “Senior Living Communities Today: Not What They Once Were!

Care choices and costs

The type of care you need is another item on the list of senior living pros and cons. If you are healthy and active, an Independent Living community is often the perfect fit because it blends the attributes of living at home with the wonderful benefits offered in senior living.

When daily assistance such as help with dressing, bathing or medication management is required, Assisted Living communities can be a great fit.

When memory loss occurs, such as with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, a Memory Care community can be a life saver. And despite what you may believe, getting the care you need in senior living can actually be cost effective when compared to receiving daily help at home.

When considering senior living pros and cons, get the facts in our blog, “At-Home Care or Senior Living? Making the Right Choice.”

Senior Living Options Guide

Companionship and socialization

One of the most difficult aspects of aging is the loss of friends and spouses, and the isolation and loneliness that often occurs over time. You may not even notice how isolation affects you until it’s too late. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, isolation can increase the risk of dementia by 50% and has other serious health impacts as well.

So, among the senior living pros is companionship and a feeling of community that comes with a move to a senior living community. Whether you live in Independent Living or Assisted Living, you can choose to stay in the privacy of your own residence or join in with a friend or group of friends to play games, see a movie, take a trip to town, or just enjoy a cup of coffee together. Even in Memory Care, residents are encouraged to socialize which can help them stay connected and improve their quality of life.

Find out more about the importance of staying in touch in our blog, “Combatting Senior Loneliness: Connectedness and Health Effects.

Nutrition

One of the often-overlooked senior living pros and cons is nutrition. Even if you still love to cook, it can become harder and harder to get to a grocery store, get the groceries in the house, prepare nutritious meals, and do the cleanup afterward. And for many seniors, eating alone just doesn’t seem like it’s all worth the effort.

In senior living, however, chef-prepared meals are among the many amenities that can truly benefit the health and well-being of residents. Whether you can eat anything or have special dietary needs you can rest assured your meals will be excellent. And best of all, dining with friends has even more benefits as described in the amdietics.com article, “The importance of eating together.

Safety and security

Living at home, especially when alone, has some inherent safety and security risks as you age. Falls indoors and outdoors, as well as burns, fires and driving mishaps can all add up to a dangerous living condition for older adults. But in senior living communities the pros and cons of safety and security rank pretty high because everything from apartments to community spaces to outdoor areas are designed and maintained to make the safest and most secure environment available. Simple things like eliminating the need to use stairs, adding grab bars in bathrooms, wide hallways, easy-to-access communal areas, and professional transportation each help to make senior living the perfect choice for retirement living.

Learn more in our blog, “We’ve Got Your Back: Safety & Security in a Senior Living Community.

Senior living care options are better than ever before and at Thrive Senior Living, our goal is to serve and care for each individual with compassion and respect. To learn more, download our Senior Living Options guide. Learn more about Thrive’s communities, housing choices and amenities by contacting us today!

Senior Living Options Guide