Senior Living Retirement Blog

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.

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.

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.  

As you make the decision to move to a retirement community, one of the secondary decisions you must make is whether to sell your home or keep it. This isn’t an easy decision for many seniors even though they are happily entering a new phase of their lives. There is no right or wrong answer, only what works for you. Keep the Home Moving is a big challenge for anyone, especially if you’ve accumulated years of stuff. Trying to clear everything out so you can sell your house while moving to a new home in a retirement community can be overwhelming. One reason to keep your home – at least for now, is to give you time to settle into your new place before you sort through years or decades of stuff to sell the house. Not only does this allow you to concentrate on one big change at a time, you may be less sentimental later on when you’ve had time away from the house. Keeping your home for now also gives you more confidence in your move. You know that you always have a place to go back to if you aren’t happy in your new home. While most seniors will not want to leave once they get settled in, it can take away some of the fear of the unknown if it’s not viewed as a permanent or irreversible decision. Sell the Home Your other option is to sell the home when you move into a retirement community. There are several reasons why this might be the best option. First, you may need the money for your new home or to put in savings for other expenses. Another good reason to choose to sell is because you don’t want to worry about maintenance or other issues when you no longer live in the home. Houses tend to fall apart if no one is living in them and fixing problems as they arise. Your home could lose value if you wait to sell a few years down the road. Instead, it’s often better to sell now while the house is livable. If you are moving because you aren’t able to take care of yourself as much as before, you won’t want to leave the responsibility of maintaining or selling your home to your kids. It will just be an added burden, one you can take care of now while you have time and the ability. If you choose to sell, realize that you will have to work on getting moved out while you are showing the home. You must keep it in good shape even as you pack and organize your stuff. You might want to hire a professional moving consultant to help you through the process. There is no right or wrong answer to whether you should keep or sell your home as you move into a retirement community. The best option is the one that fits your situation and needs and makes life better for you.

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.