Comparing Costs: Can You Afford an Active Adult Retirement Community?

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When it comes to healthy aging, quite honestly, there’s a lot to do. You’re supposed to make sure to keep your body active and your brain engaged all while maintaining your social connections as well. Sure, the benefits to your overall well-being are worth the effort, but retirement is supposed to be a time with less responsibility on your plate, right? Well, it turns out that in senior living you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. Here’s how programs like our Vivid Life make keeping active, engaged, and connected easy and fun! 

Benefits of Healthy Aging 

Good things happen when you focus on healthy aging. In addition to feeling better overall, which in and of itself is a win, other benefits of keeping active, engaged, and connected include:  

  • Improved ability to do everyday things ​ 
  • Reduced impact of illness and chronic disease​ 
  • Enhanced mobility, flexibility, and balance
  • Improved sleep
  • Increased energy level
  • Reduced feelings of depression and stress
  • Increased feelings of happiness and self-confidence
  • Reduced risk of cognitive decline 
  • Increased mental adaptability and cognitive reserve 
  • Improved memory recall and problem-solving skills 
  • Improved concentration and attention to detail  

How Senior Living Can Help 

At home, particularly when living alone, it can be hard to stay as active, engaged, and connected as you’d like. From lack of opportunity to lack of motivation to lack of transportation to mobility challenges, and more, it’s tough, we get it! That’s why we created the Vivid Life program in our senior living communities. It’s composed of three parts: Vibrant Body, Vibrant Brain, and Vibrant Connections. Here’s what each entails:  

Vibrant Body We offer amenities such as a state-of-the-art fitness center, a pool, walking trails, gardening opportunities, and even a dog park to help you stay active. A sample of activities includes:  

  • Walking club – Daily walks at different outdoor locations using pedometers to measure steps. 
  • Yoga – At least once per week for gentle yoga, and once per week for mindful breathing. 
  • Fitness classes – At least two times per week using a variety of hand weights, resistance bands, and circuit-type exercises. 
  • Tai Chi – At least once per week with a live instructor. 
  • Non-traditional exercise – Dancing, gardening, etc. at least two times per week. 
  • Physical games and sports – Golf, putting, bowling, croquet, bocce, and ping pong available daily with organized events one to two times per week. 

Vibrant Brain We offer monthly calendars filled with classes, events, creative arts, and enrichment opportunities to help keep you engaged. A sample of activities includes: 

  • Visiting lecture series – Twice per month with topics such as cultural, historical, local interest, career-oriented, etc. 
  • Creative art series – At least one per week with a theme that runs 3-6 weeks, such as poetry writing, storytelling, painting, digital photography, etc. 
  • Learning series – At least three times per month with an emphasis on learning something new such as foreign language, sign language, technology, hobbies, etc. 
  • Games – At least one time per week and may include poker, bridge, Scrabble, etc. 
  • Mindfulness – A meditation class once per week and gratitude discussion group twice monthly. 
  • Church service – At least once a week through visits by local churches. 
  • Stress reduction – At least once per month class that offers deep breathing exercises, nature walks, music appreciation, spa-type treatments, etc. 

 Vibrant Connections We offer resident-led clubs, social events, outings and volunteer opportunities for any interest to help you stay connected. A sample of activities includes: 

  • Outings – At least twice per month and may include going to concerts, art shows, museum visits, theatre productions, etc. 
  • Intergenerational programming – At least once per month and focuses on building relationships between young adults/children and residents. 
  • New resident welcome party – At least once per month to formally introduce all new residents, and includes ice breakers, social games, etc. to encourage connection. 
  • Philanthropic program – At least once per month provide residents the opportunity to give back to the community, such as volunteering for a local food bank or pet shelter. 
  • Resident-led clubs – May include game clubs, professional clubs, common interests, etc. that meet at least monthly.  

What’s more, it’s all right outside your door (or transportation is provided offsite) and all in a supportive environment with home maintenance, housekeeping, and restaurant-style dining freeing your time to make it even easier to stay active, engaged, and connected. 

Learn more about Vitality Living’s Vivid Life programs. Or find a Vitality Living community near you today to schedule a tour. 

blog-family-decision-guide

 

You’re retired and ready to say goodbye to home maintenance, yard work, and the never-ending cooking and cleaning. Not just because of the stress of it all; after all those years of work and responsibility, you’re ready to spend more time doing things that bring you joy instead! We get it! While we know that an active adult retirement community would give you these opportunities and more, the question is: can you afford it? There’s one way to find out. Here’s how you can compare the monthly costs of a community to your current expenses at home. Hint: active adult retirement living may be more within reach than you think.

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The Real Cost Comparison

Most people assume that an active adult retirement community will always cost more than living at home. And if you’re comparing the monthly cost of the community and your monthly mortgage or rent alone, that could be the case. But mortgage or rent is not your only monthly expense at home – you’re leaving out food, utilities, home maintenance, property taxes, and entertainment. It’s crucial to add these into your comparison because they’re already included in the monthly cost of active adult retirement living! This worksheet can help you compare more accurately.

MONTHLY EXPENSES COSTS AT HOME ACTIVE ADULT RETIREMENT LIVING COSTS
Mortgage or rentN/A
Property tax and insuranceIncluded
Home maintenance and repairsIncluded
Lawn care and yard maintenanceIncluded
HousekeepingIncluded
Utilities (electricity, gas, water, trash removal, etc.)Included
24-hour securityIncluded
Transportation (insurance, gas, registration, repairs)Included
DiningIncluded
Social and entertainmentIncluded
Exercise and wellnessIncluded
TOTAL MONTHLY EXPENSES:

The Value of an Active Adult Retirement Community

Even if your comparison shows an active adult retirement lifestyle may cost more, the positive impact on your quality of life is a value that often can’t be matched at home. For example, these are just some of the benefits active adult retirement communities offer:

  • A maintenance-free lifestyle filled with amenities – Our communities offer the conveniences of housekeeping, maintenance, meals, and transportation, plus amenities like dining venues that include a bistro, pub and restaurant, concierge services, pool, library, dog park, and walking trails on beautiful grounds.
  • A focus on wellbeing – You’ll find state-of-the-art fitness centers, yoga, and tai chi classes, and even onsite spa and salon experiences to keep you renewed and active. Not to mention a well-balanced diet with chef-created meals using fresh, locally-grown ingredients.
  • Opportunities to stay connected and fulfilled – Our monthly calendars are filled with social activities, outings, classes, and clubs, as well as opportunities to serve, teach or share your experiences with others.

Check out our Active Adult Decision Guide to learn more. Or, contact us today to schedule your virtual tour!

 

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