If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance you’ve grown tired of taking care of your house or maybe you find yourself a little bored living at home. You may even be considering future health care needs. Whatever your mindset, it’s normal to wonder: At what age should I move into residential senior living?
Let’s be candid: There’s no perfect age to move. However, there are several benchmarks to help each person or couple decide for themselves.
Here’s a brief questionnaire to help you self-evaluate your current (and future) lifestyle.
Consider your answers today, as well as how you might answer 5 or 10 years down the road.
- Are your meals enjoyable or simply convenient?
- Do you wish you went outside more often?
- Do you see friends as often as you’d like?
- Are there rooms in your house you don’t bother with?
- Are stairs a nuisance?
- Do you ever fret about where you’ll be in five or 10 years?
There are no wrong answers, of course. It’s just a way to assess your state of mind and level of activity — both of which can be enhanced at the right Life Plan Community.
Lifestyle Advantages You’re Going to Love
Daily activity. Life Plan Communities are designed for independent older adults.
For instance, at La Costa Glen you can expect engaged residential living in a beautiful neighborhood setting. That famous coastal Carlsbad weather paired with a landscaped campus [link to: https://tours.invisionstudio.com/6122] will give you plenty of reasons to enjoy the fresh air and uplifting green spaces, as will the outdoor amenities:
- Tennis
- Bocce
- Walking trails
- Swimming pools
- Patios
- Outdoor dining
The sooner you move in, the longer you’ll enjoy these life-enriching community attractions.
Social connections and friendships. Importantly, you’ll be part of a social community where neighbors are welcoming and you’ll make new friends. There’s always something to do and people to do it with at a Life Plan Community. It’s a fulfilling way to live, and it’s a foolproof safeguard against the too-common risk of age-related isolation [link to: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/loneliness-and-social-isolation/loneliness-and-social-isolation-tips-staying-connected#:~:text=Older%20adults%20are%20at%20higher,loss%20of%20family%20and%20friends].
Maintenance-free living. Residential living at a Life Plan Community eliminates practically every household chore. Even if you don’t mind rolling up your sleeves for the toils of homeownership, how will you feel in five years or so? Are you going to jump at the chance to unclog a drain, mow the lawn, or vacuum under the sofa? Without the daily work and unexpected repairs of homeownership, your to-do list shrinks, and your get-to list expands.
Financial Considerations
Care and value are part of the plan. Life Plan Communities, especially those offering a Type A contract like La Costa Glen, can save you thousands of dollars if you move in while you’re able to live independently. How? You’ll have priority access to the adjacent health center for assisted living, memory care and long-term care in a skilled nursing center if you ever need it. Care is provided at stable, predictable rates, protecting you from the ever-rising costs of long-term care outside the community.
But the lower rates are only available to those who move into the community’s residential living neighborhoods. If you wait till you need care, you’ll pay market rates, even as it increases.
As one resident of a Life Plan Community said, “It’s better to move in five years early than five minutes late.”
The sooner you start planning, the more options you’ll have. Planning ahead gives you choices – in the community you choose and also in the particular residence you move into. Even if your first choice is occupied, starting early allows you to join the community’s waitlist. Being on such a list gives you priority when residences become available. Plus, you’ll begin building relationships with the sales counselor and other residents.
On the other hand, if you wait until there’s an age-related crisis involving you or your spouse, your set of options becomes more limited. Or worse, someone else will be making the decision for you.
Conclusion: Sooner is better for most people.
While there’s no “best age” to move into residential living, making your choice earlier gives you financial and lifestyle advantages, while waiting can cause you to lose out on both.
As if to prove the point, ask La Costa Glen residents about their experience, and someone’s bound to say, “This place has everything! I wish I’d moved in sooner.”
Take a virtual tour of our floor plans and explore the beautiful residences at our community.
