Young retirees in the 55 and up age range often have trouble finding where they fit in. If you’re in this age group, you may feel that you want more leisure and recreation activities than your average neighborhood can provide, but you’re still far too young and energetic to consider a senior care home. In that case, 55+ community living might be the Goldilocks-like in between that’s perfect for you. Here are the three biggest benefits of joining a 55 and up community:
- Scalable Care Options
If you’re looking to find a retirement community that will allow you to age in place for several decades, then it’s important that you look at both your current support needs and what your needs may be when you’re 80 or older. Going for 55+ community living will often give you a wide range of care and support options, so that you can gradually expand them as you need more help. When you first move in, you may prefer to do all your own home and yard maintenance, as well as cook your own meals and take out your own trash. But when those tasks become difficult, you can simply have staff take care of them instead.
- An Active Lifestyle
At 55, you probably still have plenty of energy, and staying fit and active is one of the best things you can do to preserve your health. Not only does 55+ community living allow you to have more fun without having to ever leave the neighborhood, it provides ample opportunities for you to get moving. Over 55 community activities range from water aerobics and bird watching to poker night and competitive sports, so you can pick whatever activity level your health allows as you age.
- A Solid Investment
Joining an over 55 community is about more than the lifestyle; it’s also a solid investment because it involves actually purchasing real estate, rather than simply paying a rent-like monthly fee for a housing facility. That preserves your financial legacy while simultaneously allowing you a more comfortable living situation. Many 55+ communities will even offer to help you sell your old house as part of your agreement. You should keep in mind as you’re budgeting, however, that you’ll probably still pay some monthly fees for services, just as you would pay dues to a homeowners’ association or condo board.
Are you ready to start looking at 55+ community homes for sale, or do you still have doubts? Discuss in the comments.