What are the Best Independent Living Communities?

Looking back on your childhood memories of visiting your grandparents, it’s unlikely that you remember them living exciting lives that you wished to one day replicate. While visiting them was always great—because it was Grams or Grandpa—the conclusion may have been made that there wasn’t much going on in their lives.

Modern senior living is a far cry from these memories. Today, seniors have so many opportunities to learn, grow, go on new adventures and enjoy active lifestyles. The best Independent Living Communities provide seniors with new opportunities to enjoy rewarding activities, and make lasting friendships.

Referah provides seniors and their families with a large selection of community-oriented Independent Living locations where seniors can flourish without the hassles that come with maintaining a traditional home.

How to Choose an Independent Living Community

Independence may just be a word, but it expresses all the things seniors have worked for their entire lives, primarily freedom from task management. Freedom to pursue interests without having to worry about the restrictions that come with homeownership. Freedom to engage life on terms they define, rather than in response to terms that are dealt to them.

Independent Living offers seniors the opportunity to define their own idea of “freedom.” Perhaps the best way to embrace the concept is to think of this new life stage as the chance to take on activities that you previously didn’t have time for.

After years or decades of caring for your property, yard, and snow-covered driveway, the knowledge that those things are now taken care of by someone else is a huge weight off your shoulders.

To learn more about Independent Living so you can make the right choice, read our article “What is Independent Living?”

What Independent Living Requirements Are There?

All Independent Living Communities welcome seniors who are 62 or older, but some even allow those 55 years and above to join in the fun. Living accommodations are all part of a single campus. However, some Independent Living Communities may offer single-person or couples' detached units and duplexes, in addition to apartment-style accommodations. When it comes to activities and events, the range of options available is as varied as the interests of the residents. Spending time with your Referah counselor will result in finding a perfect hand-in-glove matchup.

Independent Living Activities

Sometimes, the things we want and need are not one and the same. There is an Independent Living Community out there for you that will meet your essential needs and cater to your personal desires. High quality communities also allow for plenty of elbow room to accommodate a senior (or senior couple) with a list of things they’ve always wanted to do, that they’re ready to start completing.

While living independently, seniors will have the opportunity to pick and choose activities from an expansive menu of offerings. It’d be hard to find a campus without an active recreational center or clubhouse on site to give residents the opportunity to connect with peers and participate in life-enhancing activities. Arts and crafts, holiday gatherings, continuing education classes, book clubs and movie nights are all popular and regularly available in Independent Living settings.

Physical activities are important to many, and most communities enjoy swimming pools for laps or water aerobics, well-equipped exercise rooms for resistance or weight training, yoga and other meditative classes, as well as personal training. Prefer outside activities? Perfect. Community walking trails, small lakes and ponds not only serve as a great backdrop for stretching legs and building strength and flexibility, but also provide ever-changing material for the avid photographer or artist.

Community staff also keep residents up to date on local theater and cultural events. Alone or in groups, residents can enjoy a vast selection of off-campus entertainment—and community team members will even book the tickets, just to remove even more hassle.

On-campus spas, beauty salons, barber shops, dry cleaning and laundry services are commonplace. Even convenience stores, enabling fun and delicious purchases, are readily available. Imagine living in a grand hotel, with an engaged and helpful concierge, and your experience of Independent Living won’t vastly differ.

Independent Living Dining Options

Independent Living makes every day easy and enjoyable. Many communities give you the option to choose from various meal packages, where each day, a single meal or every meal is prepared for you. Take the ever-present thought “what’s for dinner?” from a decision that requires a trip to the grocery store, prep and clean-up, to a question full of anticipation that simply demands your presence in the dining room. Expect cuisine that’s akin to that of a good restaurant. Special dietary requests can always be met, and you’ll enjoy ever-changing variations to the menu.

To find out more about the costs associated with Independent Living Communities, read our article here.

Find an Independent Living Community Near You

It’s an old phrase, but it’s perhaps never more applicable than to seniors reaching the years they worked their whole lives to enjoy. Go ahead and “open the oyster,” as you might find out that you love them! Independent Living residents have the chance to make decisions that best align with the freedom and flexibility they desire. We're here to help seniors and their families make a great choice for the future. Open the next chapter to continue an already full and productive life, and find an Independent Living Community near you, today!