What better time to retire than when the economy is struggling and your boss offers you a severance package. This is your chance to begin thinking about the next stage of your life. Settling into a new living community can be a very difficult transition. The process of putting all of our precious belongings into boxes and preparing for a new living situation can be stressful and depressing. The home you grew up in is just another structure for another family to move in and make it their home. You find yourself wondering whether this is the last stop along the journey of life?
Pleasant Experience
If this is the last stop, then let’s make sure it is a pleasant experience. Most importantly, does it have the facilities and activities that you want to spend the rest of your life doing. If golf is your sport, make sure that your new community has a golf course that you can walk out your door and tee off. The same goes for everything from having a pool and workout facility to having health professionals on-site in the event of an emergency.
Community
One exciting thing about retiring and moving into a senior living community is that the new philosophy is to make sure that everyone that lives in the community gets involved in activities that create a social aspect to the community. The facilities have become more like resorts than hospitals which is a wonderful thing. It is great to know that a health care professional is available on-site if needed, but not feel like you are in a hospital bed the rest of your life.
Are You Involved?
The more involved you become in the community, the less you think about the aging process and your health. The people around you become your friends and the community continues to grow. The transition of moving and no longer working becomes insignificant as you allow your time to become more occupied with your passions.
photo credit: Windsor Senior Living and Mosman Council
