Senior living communities no longer feel like the institutional retirement homes of the past. Instead, they offer older adults a comfortable, maintenance-free lifestyle with access to luxurious amenities. More importantly, however, senior living communities are a safer, affordable alternative to aging in place.

As such, seniors that have moved from their family homes to a retirement community report being happier and healthier than ever before. Keep reading to learn more about why so many seniors choose communities like Havenwood Heritage Heights.

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11 Benefits of a Senior Living Community

Too often, older adults just don’t consider the benefits of a senior living community. They think that if they don’t need assistance, they don’t need a senior living community. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Even if you’re fully capable of living independently, a senior living community could afford you more time to pursue hobbies, socialize with friends and, most importantly, relax. Some of the other great advantages of retirement communities include:

Let's explore these benefits more!

1. Maintenance-Free Living

More than a third of older adults transition to a senior living community because they desire a maintenance-free lifestyle, and with good reason. As a resident at Havenwood Heritage Heights, all the yard work and home maintenance will be handled for you. That means no more raking leaves in the fall, repairing leaky gutters or sweeping your front walkway.

When you make the move to a senior living community, chores like shoveling snow and mowing the grass are included in your monthly fee. In fact, housekeeping is one of the many optional services available here at Havenwood Heritage Heights and other reputable retirement communities across the country.

2. Consolidated Billing

No one enjoys sending out a separate check for their mortgage, utilities and other living expenses each month. As we grow older, managing finances can become even more onerous. Fortunately, when seniors transition to retirement communities, their monthly fee covers all expenses.

This all-inclusive payment structure makes life easier. It also provides immense peace of mind for family members who might otherwise worry that a missed bill will threaten their mother or father’s safety.

3. Reduced Cost of Living

In a similar vein, senior living communities can actually reduce your monthly expenses. Though most adults believe aging in place is the most affordable approach to retirement, this is not always the case. When you consider the costs of remaining at home versus living in a senior living community, you may be surprised.

Typically, the monthly charge at a senior living community includes:

If an individual were to remain at home and pay for these services à la carte, he or she could expect to pay nearly double. Additionally, senior living communities often eliminate certain expenses like transportation. This saves hundreds of dollars in auto insurance, gas and maintenance.

In sum, it’s important to look at all the costs involved. Calculators such as this one make it easy. Genworth’s cost of care calculator also provides you with the average cost of most long-term care options.

4. Access to Amenities

Senior living communities offer a number of benefits and services that you don’t receive in your own home. For example, few homes come with a clubhouse, a gym, billiard’s room, movie theater, swimming pool, and a cultural arts center. Senior living communities often include these and many other amenities.

Senior living communities like Havenwood Heritage Heights provide easy access to luxurious amenities like group fitness classes, adult education and walking trails.

Other amenities include:

At Havenwood Heritage Heights, there are many ways to stay engaged and active. No matter your interest—from cycling to gardening—you will fulfill your recreational needs here on our beautiful Concord, New Hampshire, campus.

5. New Social Opportunities

Many older adults spend much of their time alone. They may no longer feel comfortable driving, their spouse may have passed away or their friends may have moved. Any number of life events can trigger isolation—a risk factor for premature death, depression and cognitive decline.

Fortunately, senior living communities provide a calendar full of activities, offering residents a chance to socialize while enjoying various hobbies and interests both on- and off-site. Activities may include informal games, movie nights, exercise lessons and classes, birthday celebrations, day trips and so much more. At Havenwood Heritage Heights, there is no need to ever spend one minute feeling bored or lonely.

As one of our residents, Homer Chalifoux, has shared, “It’s easy to make friends here. You’d have to work hard not to! You meet people here who are interested in different things and have varied backgrounds, and it’s great to get to know them and see life through their lens.”

6. Continuum of Care

Aging can pose some physical and cognitive challenges that make completing tasks like cooking and cleaning difficult. When this occurs, family members often have to step in to provide regular assistance. A CCRC, or continuing care retirement community, like Havenwood Heritage Heights lessens the stress by providing a continuum of care.

Once you move in, you are part of a family that works together to ensure everyone feels welcome, comfortable and safe. As your medical and health care needs change over the years, we will make sure that you are supported. Some of the care programs we offer include assisted living care, skilled nursing care and rehabilitation and memory care.

7. Increased Security

The security of living in a senior living community cannot be understated. Because communities like Havenwood Heritage Heights are equipped with cameras, security guards and emergency response systems, older adults feel much safer than they would living alone in a private home. Residents are also comforted knowing that staff continuously check on them.

Additionally, the risk of falling in a senior living community is minimized thanks to excellent lighting, non-slip flooring, handrails and other safety measures. However, if a resident does sustain an injury, staff members are always on duty to ensure proper and prompt emergency medical care.

8. Delectable Dining

Did you know that nearly half of older adults are deficient in at least one vitamin? It is little wonder why. As we age, cooking exciting, nutritious meals becomes more challenging. Thankfully, there is no need to spend time on grocery shopping or meal preparation when you are a resident in a senior living community.

At Havenwood Heritage Heights, you can expect healthy, chef-prepared meals that meet your specific nutritional needs every day of the week. Plus, rather than eating alone in front of the television, you will dine in the company of neighbors and friends. Best of all, you will never have to do dishes ever again.

9. Eliminate Stressful Homeownership Responsibilities

Moving out of a family home filled with memories is difficult. But when you’re ready to make the transition, choosing a smaller single-family home may not be the best option.

That is because no matter what size home you own, living alone comes with responsibilities, additional expenses and the possibility that, at some point, you may not be able to maintain it. Fortunately, when you move to a senior living community, tasks like mowing, cleaning and cooking will be handled for you at no additional charge.

At Havenwood Heritage Heights, you won’t need to worry about yard work, shoveling snow or making repairs on your home. Someone is there to do just that, taking care of chores and addressing problems like leaky faucets and clogged gutters. This means you can spend time pursuing what you want to do, not what you have to do.

10. Convenient Transportation

In addition to housekeeping, chef-prepared meals, and our on-site beauty salon, another services we’ve seen residents enjoy most is transportation. With transportation services, you can toss the car keys and the associated payments and gas bill to someone else who needs it, because you won’t.

11. Pursue Hobbies & Passions

One of the top reasons people love senior living communities is all the wonderful activities and events — and the abundance of new friends and neighbors. There’s no need to ever spend one-minute feeling bored or lonely in a senior living community as there are interesting activities that appeal to anyone’s interests.

Whether you prefer musical performances, lectures, book groups, art, drama, travel or a million other hobbies and interests, you’ll find others who also enjoy them in senior living communities.

Why Choose a CCRC?

A CCRC, or continuing care retirement community, is a senior living option that provides older adults with a continuum of care. At Havenwood Heritage Heights, we offer independent living, assisted living care, skilled nursing care and rehabilitation and memory care.

Seniors choose CCRCs because they know they will be taken care of, no matter what. If and when their health care needs change, they will be offered priority access to higher levels of care. As such, residents can rest easy knowing that they will always call their community home.

Tour Senior Living Communities in Your Area

The benefits of senior living communities are well documented, but if you haven’t visited a community recently, check some out for yourself. Many current residents wish they’d toured and made the decision to move earlier.

Ruby Bartlett, a Havenwood Heritage Heights resident, advises other adults to consider senior living at younger ages. “The first and most important thing to remember is don’t wait too long to make the move. Now that we have been here for a year, we can appreciate that advice even more,” she said.

Discover Havenwood Heritage Heights

Are you searching for the perfect retirement community to call home? If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of making the move to Havenwood Heritage Heights, our team would be happy to help!

Whether you’re interested in our independent living options or you have a loved one who would benefit from access to advanced memory care services, we have a number of great retirement options to choose from. Contact our friendly team here at Havenwood Heritage Heights to learn more.