Love living in your home but getting tired of maintaining it? Feeling a little isolated and wish there was an easy way to enjoy more time having fun with friends? Need a hand with a few basic daily activities like dressing or bathing?

If you or an older loved one are starting to think about leaving behind the cares and responsibilities of living in your current home and moving to a senior living community, but aren’t sure what your options are, here’s a good place to start.

Essentially, if you are in good physical health for your age and don’t have serious memory problems, there are two types of senior living options for you. Choosing the right one depends in large part on how you want to live and how much help, if any, you think you’ll need with personal care.

Independent Living

Independent living communities are designed for healthy, independent, active seniors aged 55+ who just want a more carefree life without the burden of home maintenance and chores. Independent living communities provide a wide range of interesting activities and opportunities to enjoy a vibrant social life. Here are some of them:

• Spacious apartment style living spaces featuring full amenities, including kitchens and washers and dryers.
• Access to common areas like lounges, meeting rooms, and gardens as well as outdoor gardens and walking paths where residents can socialize with friends.
• Services designed to make life more carefree like landscaping and lawn care, laundry, housekeeping, onsite all-day restaurant-style dining options, beauty salon, and security.
• Social, recreational, cultural, and educational activities like book discussion groups, Happy Hours, movie and game nights, field trips, and exercise classes, plus lectures and classes.
• Transportation to doctor’s appointments, grocery stores, and group offsite events.
• Access to onsite therapists or rehab services.

Assisted Living

For those who may need a little help in terms of personal care, an assisted living community provides all the social opportunities, activities, and carefree communal living amenities of independent living mentioned above, plus a few others.

• Spacious apartment style living spaces that may or may not include a kitchenette or a washer dryer.
• Living spaces that usually have safety and accessibility features like grab bars near the toilet and in the shower as well as one or more emergency call buttons.
• A helping hand with activities of daily living like bathing and dressing.
• Assistance with laundry and medication management.
• A medical professional, typically a certified nurse practitioner, on call 24/7 to handle any medical emergencies.

Today, whether you or your loved one are an active, independent senior or someone who needs a little help, moving to a senior living community is increasingly seen as a positive lifestyle choice rather than a reluctant necessity. Think about what living your best life looks like and how much assistance you’ll need to make the senior living community choice that’s right for you.

MorningStar Senior Living — Independent Living Community

Love the sound of built-in companionship, predictable budgeting and the security that comes from living in an independent living community? Our job is to take care of the day-to-day details of home maintenance inside and out, giving you more time to do the things you love. Whether it’s fulfilling a calling, finding a new opportunity through volunteerism, or playing and relaxing, contact us to schedule a tour of a community near you.