5 Reasons to Choose Senior Living Sooner
The British Columbia Seniors Living Association (BCSLA) is dedicated to promoting and protecting its members, which include the owners and operators of retirement communities in BC.
These communities offer quality care, amenities, and enhance the quality of life of older adults. Many individuals and their families consider senior living a “last resort,” so we want to highlight the reasons why you should make the move to senior living sooner rather than later.
1. Longevity Increases in Senior Living
Did you know your health and vitality can improve in senior living residences? At BCSLA, part of our mission is supporting our members and their residents in health, safety, and wellness. Fighting for our members ensures you are treated equally and fairly, ensuring your longevity increases.
Having such passionate staff looking out for your well-being will put your needs first. Such needs include optimizing your mental and physical longevity by encouraging and providing opportunities for you to build community with fellow retirees who share similar hobbies, interests, and lifestyles.
2. Fewer Responsibilities, More Time For Retirement
As it turns out, most residents end up regretting waiting so long to move into senior living. Why? Because once they move in, they save so much time for travel, family, friends, and hobbies.
Retirement communities in BC handle maintenance and upkeep; you may never again have to worry about laundry, mowing the lawn, handiwork around the house, or even cleaning the kitchen. Imagine this: a day full of friends and family, no cooking, no cleaning, just chef-prepared meals with never-ending laughs and wine. You simply show up, eat, and leave. Leaving you plenty of time for the theatre, cocktail hour, or reading a good book by the fire. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? If this is your type of retirement, take a look at our member directory to start exploring options near you.
3. Hidden Contingencies
Retirement is designed to be a stress-free time to spend with loved ones and do the things you have always wanted to do. Living in senior living can provide that care-free lifestyle we all dream of.
However, if you decide to age in place at home, there may be some additional costs and stressors on the horizon. Be prepared for unforeseen inflation rates, at-home medical support, or aging in place renovations.
4. Downsizing Can Be a Process
Moving can take a lot of planning, time, and energy. Now add downsizing to the mix, and you will need a lot of help to get things going. Although we’d like to stay young forever, aging is inevitable. And sometimes, as we age, our physical health and energy decrease.
If you wait until it is no longer safe for you to be in your house, it may also no longer be safe for you to handle the moving process. This means additional support and costs to have others help with this. To avoid this, we recommend taking a look at our tips for downsizing to get ahead of the game.
5. COVID-19 Has Reshaped Senior Living
This year has been challenging, but one thing is for sure, we can innovate! The senior living industry will always be spearheading innovation by consistently adapting to keep residents and guests safe and healthy. A great example of this is one of our independent living members, PARC Retirement Living, who has increased their recreational service offerings by opening a family-safe restaurant with separate entrances for residents and family members.
A global pandemic was a learning curve for the senior living industry, but with that comes better policies and better safety precautions, making residences the safest place for you as you age.
BCSLA is proud to support and promote retirement communities throughout BC. If you’re ready to make the move to senior living, we invite you to visit our member directory to start exploring communities near you!
