[Updated: May 31, 2023 | Published: May 31, 2023]
As you age, you face many decisions about where and how you want to spend your retirement years. One of the most important is whether staying home or moving to a retirement community is your best option.
Many factors come into play when making this decision. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of both senior living options to help you decide whether senior living at home or a retirement community is right for you — now and in the future.
Whatever you choose, Friendship Village of Dublin has senior living options that can make your life easier and more enjoyable. In over 40 years as central Ohio’s premier senior living community, our non-profit board of directors continues to develop programs that fulfill our mission of enhancing the lives of older adults. Read on to learn more.
Pros and Cons of Senior Living at Home
Often called aging in place, staying in the home you love is the first choice for many retirees.
According to studies by AARP, over three-quarters of adults over 50 want to keep living in their existing homes as long as possible.
Growing older at home is the default choice even for those who eventually move to a senior living community like Friendship Village of Dublin.
Your home provides comfort and familiarity that can be hard to leave behind. This option allows you to continue your current lifestyle. You may find it easier to maintain connections to friends, neighbors and your religious community. Aging at home can also mean fewer expenses at first, especially if you’ve paid off your mortgage. And it allows you to avoid change, which many people don’t like.
Potential Drawbacks of Aging At Home
However, aging in place also means that you remain responsible for home maintenance, meal preparation, household chores, lawn care and other responsibilities of home ownership. These responsibilities can become more complex and take longer as you age. They can also tie you down if you want to travel.
Remember, your home will age along with you! It will need new roofing, flooring, landscaping and other improvements. You also may need to invest in home safety improvements such as improved lighting, handrails and grab bars to prevent falls.
Moreover, your neighborhood may change. Friends may move away, making it harder to make new ones. For example, new construction might create traffic headaches. Over decades, your community might experience economic decay and become less safe.
Even if you are active and independent today, you don’t know when your needs may change. You’ll need to plan for a time when you may need help with healthcare or activities of daily living like bathing, dressing and preparing meals. If you or your partner experienced a health emergency, where would you go for care after leaving the hospital? Who would arrange support services, rehabilitation or long-term care for you? And how would you pay for any needed care?
Benefits and Potential Drawbacks of Senior Living Communities
Retirement communities offer many benefits that make life easier and more pleasurable.
Friendship Village of Dublin, for example, provides luxe amenities and abundant activities to enhance the quality of life for our Residents. Our Residents enjoy life in perfect balance, with benefits like chef-prepared meals in four restaurant-style dining rooms, two fitness centers, an indoor pool and lifelong learning programs. Our scenic, 29-acre campus also has plenty of beautifully landscaped outdoor spaces where residents can relax or participate in activities like gardening, bocce and pickleball.
Continuing care retirement communities like Friendship Village of Dublin also provide peace of mind, with evolving services and care that meet your changing needs as you age. You would start out living independently in a freestanding home or apartment. Suppose you need higher levels of care as you age. In that case, you can move to assisted living, memory care or even obtain skilled nursing care and rehabilitation services within the same community.
There are a few trade-offs, of course, so it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons in terms of what matters most to you.
Advantages of Senior Living Communities
One of the most significant advantages of senior living communities is the abundance of social opportunities. Residents can meet and interact with peers with similar interests and experiences, fostering new friendships and a sense of belonging.
Engaging activities, group outings and communal spaces encourage social interaction, reducing isolation and promoting wellness. At Friendship Village of Dublin, for example, Residents can choose from over 100 planned activities each month on campus and off.
Socialization is more important than you might think. According to a recent advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General, social isolation can have deadly consequences. For older adults, these include a 29 percent increased risk of heart disease, a 32 percent increased risk of stroke, and a 50 percent increased risk of developing dementia for older adults. In addition, a lack of social connection increases the risk of premature death by more than 60 percent!
Maintenance-free living is another gift of moving to a senior living community. You’ll no longer have to worry about cooking, cleaning, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, handling home repairs or finding repair services. Dedicated staff members take care of these responsibilities, allowing you to relax and enjoy a worry-free lifestyle.
Convenient access to healthcare is one more benefit of senior living communities. On-site healthcare professionals, including nurses and doctors, can monitor health conditions, administer medications, and provide assistance with activities of daily living, if necessary. In addition, regular wellness programs and health screenings further promote a healthy and active lifestyle. For example, at Friendship Village of Dublin, our Residents can choose a primary care physician from Central Ohio Primary Care, and walk to visits at their on-site senior medical practice.
Potential Drawbacks of Communal Living
A perceived loss of independence is one of the most significant objections you may have to moving to a senior living community. The transition to communal living can be a little challenging at first. However, most senior living communities strive to balance independence and support. Residents maintain control over their daily routines and lifestyle choices while benefiting from the assistance and resources available within the community.
Adjusting to a new environment can be hard at first, especially if you have lived in your home for many years. Adapting to a new routine, making new friends, and familiarizing yourself with the community’s facilities and services may take time and effort.
To ease this adjustment, senior living communities provide orientation programs, resident ambassadors, and welcoming committees that help new residents adjust to their surroundings. Active participation in community events and activities can also accelerate the process.
Costs associated with senior living communities can also be a concern for some. Entrance fees and monthly charges vary depending on the community, level of care and services provided, and they may not be affordable for everyone.
However, when you add up your current living costs and factor in future healthcare expenses, a LifeCare community like Friendship Village of Dublin may be more affordable than you think!
LifeCare is a prepaid long-term care plan that covers you for life. If the need arises, you enjoy guaranteed access to higher levels of care at a predictable cost. This all-in-one package offers flexible services, amenities and access to future healthcare, giving you more freedom to enjoy your active, independent lifestyle.
New Options: Live at Home, with Access to Senior Services
Can’t decide whether senior living at home or a senior living community is right for you? Now, you don’t have to!
Our Friendship At Home program allows you to secure the benefits of LifeCare while living in your own home.
If you’re 62 or older, you could qualify for this unique membership program, which provides all the best elements of a senior living community while you’re still in your home.
LifeCare guarantees access to assisted living, skilled nursing, short-term rehab and memory care support – all in the comfort of your home. As a member, you also can receive needed care in our Waterford Place Assisted Living, Alderwood Health & Rehab and Rowan House Memory Care communities on the Friendship Village of Dublin campus.
Allow Friendship at Home to:
- Help you plan for an active, independent lifestyle and the “what ifs” of life
- Offer you 24/7 access to a personal care coordinator who advocates for you
- Coordinate medically necessary support services as you need them
- Provide up to full assisted living and nursing home care in the privacy of your own home
Friendship At Home is more comprehensive than any long-term care insurance plan and does not require stringent criteria or a waiting period to receive care. But if you have long-term care insurance, you can use it with your membership plan.
Transition to Senior Living through LifeCare for Life
If you’re leaning toward choosing a senior living community but aren’t quite ready, consider our new LifeCare for Life program, which allows you to enjoy LifeCare now through Friendship At Home. Then, when you’re prepared to move to Friendship Village of Dublin, you can transfer through our Bridge Program.
Learn About Our Full Continuum of Senior Living Options
No matter what your stage in life — whether you’re looking for an independent living apartment in a senior living community or want to achieve peace of mind while living in your own home — we have a plan for you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you plan for a healthy and independent retirement on your terms.
Call 614-426-0334 to speak with a Residency Counselor, or use the form below to schedule a visit to our scenic, resort-style community along the Scioto River in Dublin.
