With an influx of individuals who are reaching retirement age, retirement communities are stepping up to meet the demands of a new generation of retirees. Just like any other industry, there are trends in the set-up and way that retirement communities are run that you need to be aware of if you are looking into retirement community options.
More Personal Choice for Housing
The floor plans for senior housing used to be pretty basic. A nice little square living room with a long rectangular kitchen to the side and a little square bedroom. However, seniors who are retiring today are used to living in houses with more interesting and functional floorplans and in homes that are more customized to their likes and interest.
When you look into senior retirement communities, from condos to villas to apartments, you will find more interesting floorplans, as well as larger floorplans. You will also find that more apartments allow you to customize the cabinets and countertops.
Access to Modern Technology
The seniors entering retirement communities are members of the baby boomer generation, and they may not have invented the tech bubble, but they have fully embraced technology. In light of the fact that more seniors are tech-savvy, so are the retirement communities that support them. You are more likely to see televisions with live streaming apps and computers and tablets in the community areas. You are more likely to see support for Wi-Fi for individual residents and USB chargers in apartments.
Programming for the Whole Person
Next, many seniors from the baby boomer generation are focusing on whole-person wellness as they age, making sure that not just their medical needs are taken care of, but their social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing are also being taken care of.
In response to this, senior living communities are more likely to offer programming that goes beyond basic bingo, and offer classes such as yoga and Tai Chi, host book clubs, and offer more well-rounded programming options.
More Dining Choices
Finally, one's palette can be quite advanced by the time they get to be a senior citizen and ready to live in a senior living community. Many senior living communities that offer meals are going beyond the basic meat and potatoes diet and serving different types of cuisine, such as Mexican, Italian, or Indian food. They are also working to meet the different food lifestyle choices that people follow, such as plant-based, vegan, etc.
If you are getting ready to choose a retirement community or an assisted living facility, choose one that is on the cutting edge of things and offers their residents customized housing, varied dining choices, interesting programming, and access to technology.
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