Senior Living Blogs

When you move from your home to a senior community, often a lot of downsizing must take place. You may have accumulated years’ worth of stuff if you have owned your home for a long time. One of the biggest challenges for seniors is to know what to do with those items they can’t take with them.

Tags: Federal Way Independent Living, Retirement Living in Federal Way, Senor Living Amenities, Assisted Living Federal Way, Senior Lifestyle, Active Aging Adults

Change is an inevitable part of life. Even as a senior when you think life should be slowing down, a new phase comes in. It may be time to sell your home and move into a retirement community. You may need to move in with family or an assisted living center. Health issues arise, family moves away.

Tags: Federal Way Independent Living, Retirement Living in Federal Way, Senor Living Amenities, Assisted Living Federal Way, Senior Lifestyle, Active Aging Adults

Sit in a park one sunny afternoon and watch the kids. Notice the youngest ones, how excited they get over a butterfly or even a worm. Their face lights up and they jump up and down with each new discover of things that most of us take for granted.

Tags: Federal Way Independent Living, Retirement Living in Federal Way, Senor Living Amenities, Assisted Living Federal Way, Senior Lifestyle, Active Aging Adults

As a new activity director, you may wonder how to appeal to the residents in the retirement community. It can be difficult to get everyone involved when they have such different interests, schedules and levels of ability. However, participating in group activities is one of the reasons people are happy in these communities, so making it relevant and interesting is essential.

Tags: Federal Way Independent Living, Senor Living Amenities, Assisted Living Federal Way

At Village Green Retirement Campus, we often hear from families who tell us their only regret is that they didn’t encourage their parent to move to assisted living sooner. They can name numerous benefits of making this change, but it often comes down to peace of mind for the family that their loved one is safe and well-cared for. Their only hesitation was in determining if they could afford to make the move.

Tags: Federal Way Independent Living, Senor Living Amenities, Assisted Living Federal Way, Cost of Senior Living in Federal Way, How to Choose a Retirement Community

A person should never stop growing. Even as bodies fail and you aren’t able to do all the things you once did, your mind and spirit can continue to grow and develop. There are several benefits to seeking personal growth after retirement and many ways to accomplish this goal. Benefits to Personal Growth Before you can make the decision to improve yourself, you must understand the benefits to personal growth. One benefit is that it improves your physical and mental health. When someone has something to look forward to or a goal to achieve, they have a purpose in life. It gives them a reason to get up in the morning, to work through pain and problems and a satisfaction at the end of the day. Engaging in activities that help you grow also keeps your mind and body active, which can prevent or slow down the aging process. Studies have shown that people who have a focus or purpose in life have more energy and feel better. People are always changing. When you work on your personal growth, you are learning something new about yourself. You’re stretching your limits, getting out of your comfort zone. While you may feel uncomfortable, you also feel more alive. And when you achieve your goal, it makes you feel good about yourself. Ways to Achieve Personal Growth as a Senior If you want to continue to develop who you are, you can find many ways to accomplish this goal as a senior. In fact, it may be even easier for retirees than for those who still have jobs and families to raise. Instead of focusing on the needs of other people, you can concentrate on yourself. One of the best ways to achieve personal growth is to volunteer. So many worthwhile organizations need volunteers and seniors often have more time to give. Get involved in your community. You’ll learn about other people which will help you learn more about yourself. Work at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Volunteer to read to school children or join programs like Big Brother or Big Sister. Even people with limited mobility can find ways to help others. They may make special crafts designed for sick children or newborns. They can make phone calls or send out letters on behalf of charitable organizations. Another way to see growth in your life is by learning a new skill. What is the one thing you always wanted to learn when you were young but never had time? Now is the time to take that class, pick up a book or watch a YouTube how-to video. Look at areas in your life where you would like to improve. Perhaps it’s in developing a skill or improving a weakness. Maybe you want to make new friends or find a way to give back. Set a goal and decide it’s never too late in life to work to improve yourself. As you develop your ability in this new skill, it will give you a sense of accomplishment. It also sharpens your mind as you work to remember steps or rules. You will feel pride as you show others what you can do.  

Tags: Senior Living Advice, Retirement Living in Federal Way, Senior Lifestyle, Keeping Seniors Active, Active Aging Adults

With the holidays upon everyone, it’s a festive time of year. However, you may not be as busy as you once were when you had kids or a full-time job. If you would like to fill your calendar with fun activities you can do with others, consider one of the following ideas. Attend a Holiday Concert You can get a group together and make plans to attend a holiday concert or play. Many schools and local theaters put on special productions this time of year. You can enjoy a school band concert or see a new version of The Christmas Carol or The Nutcracker. Since many of these performances have multiple shows, you can often get a group of tickets for the afternoon showing or even a weeknight. You’ll want to buy tickets early to make sure everyone can sit together. Go Caroling The holidays are the time of year when you don’t need to have the best voice to sing your favorite Christmas carols. Get a group together and go caroling. You might want to visit an assisted living center or other community for seniors who can’t get out and enjoy the festivities. It will make you feel good to bring some holiday spirit to those who can’t go out and find it on their own. While caroling is traditionally done after dark in the evenings, you can plan an afternoon caroling session. Have everyone get together on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. If the weather is cold or rainy, you can take your caroling inside at senior centers or assisted living communities. Just contact someone to ask first and make sure you aren’t interrupting another event. Volunteer The holidays aren’t fun for everyone. There are some people who struggle this time of year, especially if they are unemployed and homeless. You can get a group of seniors together and volunteer at the local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Find out from the coordinator if you can cook and bring in food as well as help with serving. Many places welcome volunteers to cook, and it’s one way people can get involved even if they aren’t mobile enough to assist with serving. During this busy holiday season, it’s good to feel useful and to help those who are less fortunate. Look at Holiday Lights You’re sure to find a few neighborhoods and light displays around Federal Way worth seeing. You can get someone with a van or even rent a bus to take a group around to look at spectacular light displays. This is an activity that you can plan far ahead or just a few days. If the weather causes you to cancel the trip, it’s easy enough to reschedule because the light displays run every night through the season. This is another wonderful activity for those who have limited mobility since they can sit in the van or bus and enjoy the sights. Get your friends or a group together and share the spirit of the holiday season with them this year. Try one or more of these activities and see if it gets everyone in the holiday mood.

Tags: Senior Living Advice, Retirement Living in Federal Way, Senior Lifestyle, Keeping Seniors Active, Active Aging Adults

As the holidays approach, you may start thinking about the great deals on Black Friday. If you like to shop and save money, this can be a big day in the year for you. Of course, you want to find the best Black Friday deals around Federal Way. Wal-Mart Wal-Mart always lands near the top of shopping lists when it comes to Black Friday. With their door-buster ads, you can get amazing savings on electronics, household items and clothing. You’ll usually find an impressive deal on TVs, tablets and other electronics for kids. Plus, there’s a large selection of DVDs and other items for just a few dollars. It’s a great place to go for inexpensive Christmas gifts. Target Not everyone likes Wal-Mart, so Target is the place to go for all-around savings. You’ll find big deals on special items, including toys for the grandkids and electronics and household items for your adult kids. Target maintains a decent number of their special deals, so you can get in on the savings. Best Buy If you want the latest electronic gadgets, Best Buy is the place to shop. You’ll find some amazing price discounts on televisions, tablets, laptops, video game controllers and more. Whether you’re buying these items as Christmas gifts for family or getting a new item for yourself, you’ll be impressed by the deals. Just be prepared for long lines. Unless you’re after the must-have items of the season, you probably will want to wait to shop until after the die-hard shoppers are finished. Lowes Looking to make some home improvements? Or maybe you want to get some new holiday lawn ornaments. Lowes offers great deals on Black Friday, often without the long lines and craziness of other stores. You’ll find amazing deals on tools, home appliances and much more here. Sportsman’s Warehouse Shop for the fisherman or sports addict in your life at Sportsman’s Warehouse. It’s not as big as many similar retailers, but you’re sure to get great deals and enjoy the shopping experience. Buy new camping gear, a fishing rod or check out sporting equipment at a reduced price on Black Friday. HomeGoods If you have young kids or grandkids buying their first home or upgrading to a new place, HomeGoods offers a large selection of household items at great prices on Black Friday. You might want to check it out if you’re planning a move to a retirement community in the near future. A new set of curtains or decorative pillows and rugs can make a new space feel like home. It has just about anything you could want for your home. You’ll find a wide range of special deals and offers for Black Friday at your favorite local stores. If you’re looking for something specific at a reduced price or you just want to get out and shop on the most festive shopping day of the year, plan to visit one or more of these stores right in Federal Way.

Tags: Senior Living Advice, Retirement Living in Federal Way, Senior Lifestyle, Keeping Seniors Active, Active Aging Adults

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Many a wall hanging has been embroidered with the words, “Sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt and dance like nobody’s watching.”

Tags: Senior Living Advice, Healthy Seniors in Federal Way, Federal Way Independent Living, Assisted Living Federal Way