Retirement Communities - Six Secrets for Successfully Choosing your Retirement Community

Retirement communities - Six Secrets for Successfully Choosing your Retirement Community.

Retirement Community Secret 1

What TYPE of retirement do you need? Do you want an independent living retirement community, an active retirement community, a continuing care retirement community or an assisted living retirement community? This will be largely dependent on your health and ability to look after yourself completely - or otherwise - and the kind of activities you enjoy. If you enjoy golf for example, a facility that either provides a golf course or has one close by is the obvious choice. If your activities centre more around yoga, crochet etc, you should look for retirement communities providing these activities.

Retirement Community Secret 2

Do you have Special Needs? If you are looking for a retirement community for an aged parent that suffers Alzeimers or Dementia, you need to satisfy yourself that the retirement community can satisfactorily meet these needs. Are staff medically trained, and are there nurses available 24-7? You may also need a degree of assistance; for example my own mother needs assistance with showering and dressing - is this catered for?

Retirement Community Secret 3

Is being close to family friends and familiar surroundings important to you? Many retirees make the mistake of moving away from places they have lived in most of their life and end up being lonely, because it is difficult for family and friends to visit. Similarly if you live alone, do you have a pet and does the retirement community allow pets. For some retirees their dog or cat may be their most constant companion.

Retirement Community Secret 4

How pedestrian friendly are the retirement communities you are considering? A mistake made by many retirees is to choose a retirement community that requires a car for shopping and activities at a time when driving is no problem, but then finding that a few years later they can no longer drive and become dependent on others.

Retirement Community Secret 5

How well you think you will fit in with other residents, staff and the facilities of the retirement community itself? Many people moving into retirement communities look simply at the facilities without considering the other residents and staff. If possible, you should ask to spend a day at the retirement community - this will give you the opportunity to talk to the residents themselves and observe how the staff treat them. Are there are adequate staff, and do they enjoy their work? You will probably spend several years with these people - are they people you would be happy to spend the next 10 years with?

Retirement Community Secret 6

Is the living space adequate? Many retirees consider a small one-bedroom unit is all they need - and this may be quite true.

However, they often regret this decision when they realise their grandchildren can not stay with them. Indeed, the question of visitors is one you need to clarify right from the start; having a second bedroom will allow family and friends stay with you for a weekend can be a fantastic advantage.

For more on retirement communities please visit www.retirement-videos.com for more articles and videos to help you choose a retirement community.

Posted in Family on Sunday 12th of October 2008 07:23:01 AM