New Options for Senior Living

In the past, aging adults had very basic choices about where to live. If they remained healthy, they could continue living at home. If their health began to get worse, they moved into a nursing home. Today there are new options for senior living available such as:

• Retirement communities (or apartment communities) offering meal preparation, home maintenance, and other services
• Assisted living communities that in addition to meal preparation and home maintenance provide transportation, group events and activities designed to keep residents active and involved
• Co-housing, where seniors live together and help coordinate support or provide each other support when they need it
• A “Village” type of arrangement, where aging adults who live nearby organize into a group that has access to coordinating services and resources that help them age in place.

The benefits of these new options are that there can be more social engagement and stronger focus on wellness and fitness leading to better mental health and happiness.