This series of articles will deal with the choices facing our aging population, and while I can’t cover every aspect of every alternative, I’ll do my best to explain your options and the differences between those available choices.

Let’s look toward the future to see who will be impacted by these types of “where shall I live” decisions. Today there are about 35 million seniors; by 2030 that number is going to more than double to over 72-million.  Two things you can count on: (1) not all of those seniors will be capable of remaining or living in their homes, and (2) with fewer than 2-million nursing home beds in the United States, more than 70-million people will be aging in their own homes or some other form of alternative housing.

In a perfect world, people would remain well enough to live out their days in their own homes, and many choose to do so by bringing in assistance in the form of home health aids, personal assistance, companions, housekeepers and nurses.  Doing that takes money, lots of money.  For the purposes of this series of articles, I will not focus on people who are or might become part of the Medicaid or public assistance segment of our population.  That’s an issue for another time.  Let’s look at people who live in their own homes, who may have to decide if and when they feel that for whatever their reasons, they either don’t wish to or can no longer continue to do so, but do not require skilled full time nursing assistance.

What are some of the reasons that seniors choose to move to alternative housing choices? Perhaps it’s accessing the equity built up in their homes, for others it’s simply downsizing for easier living, and for some it’s declining health or the loss of a mate that presents them with questions of where to live.  Options include: active adult communities, independent and assisted living facilities, and life-care community.  We’ll define and discuss each of these alternatives as our series on housing options unfolds.

Today, let’s look at senior communities, sometimes called Active Adult communities. The first qualifying restriction you will find is that depending on the community, one or both adults must be at least 55-years of age.  The benefit of this type of community is that there may be a wide variety of housing options to choose from including: apartments, condos, villas, town homes, and various sized single-family homes. The entire community is built around its residents being active, and golf courses, pools and fabulous clubhouse facilities are often the main features of these communities.  There are usually dozens of organized activities for active seniors, and in some cases fine dining may be available at the clubhouse, along with a bar, card rooms, pool tables, a library and almost every amenity you can imagine.  And there’s no membership fee to live there.

However, an important cost factor of Active Adult Living communities is the outside or common area fees for landscape and other aesthetic and grounds maintenance.  If there are tennis courts or a golf course, you may be required to pay, as part of your maintenance fee for their upkeep, even if you don’t engage in the sport.  These fees can often dramatically increase your monthly expenses, and may not be optional. Be sure to ask.

Transportation to local grocery stores, banks or malls may be provided, but health care is absolutely NOT offered as a component of this type of living arrangement.  You are totally independent, and if medical or health care assistance is needed, you must arrange it on a private contract basis, and that can often be costly.

There are many Active Adult communities to choose from, and costs vary based on amenities, common area maintenance fees, home sizes, numbers of community paid staff, and location.  Make sure the lifestyle offered fits you and your needs, and that you are a good fit for the people, style and services of the community.  Don’t choose a tennis community if you want a private golf course at your disposal.

Generally, it’s younger seniors, 55-75 years of age, usually still in reasonably good health, who no longer want the hassles of home maintenance, but still want a full range of activities and the option of a busy social life who are the primary residents of Active Adult communities. Most remain there until they find that their needs change or the pace of the community no longer meets their lifestyle requirements.  So what’s the next step? We’ll take a look at life’s continuum of aging and housing, and discuss independent and assisted living facilities in the next article of this series. Until then, be well and prosper.

For information on how to purchase Ron's new book, click on the book cover, below.

For information about personal appearances, speaking engagements, broadcast or print media interviews, book availability and in-person book signings, please contact Ron via email at drron407@bellsouth.net, or by phone at 561-626-4481. Website: www.seniorlifestyles.net.