Senior Independent Living

Many older adults reach a signal when they're set up for a more leisurely, low-stress lifestyle, especially afterwards retiring. But, if they do not nonetheless require any daily personal intendance aid, they'll likely feel that an assisted living community offers more intendance than they need. This tin leave agile seniors who want to transition to a residential community feeling like they're out of options. But, there are alternatives to assisted living and nursing care.

Independent living is a different type of residential senior customs specifically intended for those who desire a depression-stress lifestyle, but who are still active and independent. These communities cater to older adults who want to motion to a customs of other seniors and enjoy all that it has to offer, but who do non yet necessarily demand to transition to residential care. Independent living communities handle interior and exterior maintenance for residents and offer services like prepared meals, transportation, and on-site activities and events. They do not offer medical care or personal care services.

With almost 30,000 residential care communities in the United States, choosing the right 1 can feel overwhelming. In this guide, we provide some more details on independent living and who is a skilful fit, how much independent living costs, and how to choose the best community for yous.

What Is Independent Living?

What is independent living?

Independent living communities are residential senior housing communities designed for independent seniors that want the conveniences of community living. Independent living communities offer seniors a lifestyle filled with recreational, educational, and social opportunities.

While services such as housekeeping, prepared meals, and transportation are bachelor at independent living communities, higher-level services such every bit assist with the activities of daily living (ADLs) and medical care are not offered at these communities. This makes independent living a dandy option for seniors who are still active, social, and desire customs living, but who practice not yet demand personal intendance or medical assistance.

What Are Some of the Benefits of Independent Living?

Independent living offers many benefits for seniors interested in a depression-stress lifestyle for their Golden Years. Beneath are some of the main benefits of living in an contained living community.

  • Maintenance-Free Lifestyle: The community handles all exterior maintenance and landscaping, housekeeping, and interior maintenance and repairs. Residents tin say good day to mowing the backyard or fixing the broken AC unit of measurement themselves, while all the same living in a well-maintained environment.
  • Socialization: Independent living communities offer common areas for residents to congregate, planned group activities, and communal dining then that residents can form strong relationships. This tin be particularly important for older adults who alive alone and struggle with isolation.
  • Prophylactic and Security: The safety of residents should be a top priority of any independent living community. To help keep residents safety, many accept 24-60 minutes security or a locked gate, as well as emergency features such equally fire suppression systems. Some may as well utilize personal medical alert systems so that they tin can swiftly aid any resident who has an emergency.
  • Simplified Finances: Near independent living communities offer an all-inclusive lifestyle, meaning that meals, services, and utilise of civilities are included in one's monthly payment. This tin greatly simplify life for seniors who were previously managing complicated finances and billing.
  • Convenience: Independent living communities offer a number of conveniences, including on-site amenities like beauty salons, fitness centers, and prepared and served meals. Plus, residents are living in a customs of their peers, providing plenty of options for socializing without needing to programme or travel.

Who Is a Good Fit for Independent Living?

Independent living communities are designed for active older adults who desire a maintenance-complimentary lifestyle and the social benefits of living in a community with other seniors. Because there is no medical assist or personal intendance assistance offered at these communities, residents tend to be more agile and generally in better health than seniors who choose to alive in other types of senior communities, such as assisted living or skilled nursing homes.

While most contained living communities can suit residents with a range of needs, you lot're probable a good fit for independent living if the following apply to you lot:

  • Your electric current dwelling has begun to feel cumbersome to maintain and you want to be free of housekeeping and maintenance duties
  • You savor socializing with other adults and want to live in a community of people who are in the same life stage as you and will participate in customs activities
  • You don't demand daily assistance, but want the security of having staff on-site at all times to aid you in case of an emergency
  • You desire to maintain your independence for as long every bit possible, but are ready to mitt over some arduous tasks similar laundry and home repairs to someone else
  • You lot desire the convenience of having amenities like a fitness center, salon, and restaurant in the same community where you live

Who Should Consider a Different Blazon of Senior Living?

Independent living is not the right fit for everyone. If the post-obit situations apply to y'all, you're likely improve suited for a different type of senior living community.

  • If you lot do non notwithstanding demand or want whatsoever assistive services like transportation or prepared meals and are independent and active, consider a 55+ customs. These senior lifestyle communities provide some maintenance services but accept fewer amenities on-site and services available than contained living communities. Residents even so benefit socially from living in a community of older adults in the aforementioned life stage.
  • If you lot need regular assistance with activities of daily living like preparation and dressing, you're probable a improve fit for assisted living. Though some independent living communities allow residents to rent their own personal care aides as needed, having these services built-in to the monthly cost and available around-the-clock is better for most people who need regular assistance.
  • If you lot want to remain in the same community for years to come, you may consider a continuing intendance retirement customs (CCRC). CCRCs offering a continuum of care, from independent living through retentivity care and skilled nursing care. Residents can admission different levels of intendance as their needs change over the years without having to relocate, making CCRCs an appealing choice for those who want to avoid another move in the future.
  • If you lot need regular medical care or are recovering from a surgery or injury, wait into skilled nursing homes. These communities offer effectually-the-clock medical care besides as admission to therapy services for those who need a higher level of care.
  • If your loved one is living with dementia, they'll exist best cared for in a memory care community. These communities are particularly designed for those with retention impairments and offering a higher level of intendance and security measures than assisted living to go on residents safe.

What Are Typical Independent Living Services and Amenities?

Independent Living Services and Amenities

Though independent living communities do not offer medical or personal care aid, they yet provide residents with many lifestyle services and amenities. Some of the most common include:

  • Housekeeping services, including laundry
  • Interior maintenance and repairs
  • Groundskeeping and maintenance of all outdoor and common areas for an aesthetically pleasing environment
  • Prepared meals served in a communal dining area as well as on-site java shops or bistros
  • Transportation services for errands, appointments, and more than
  • Planned activities and events on-site, such as visiting lecturers, concerts, and movie screenings
  • Planned grouping outings for errands as well equally for fun, such as attending the symphony or taking a trip to a state park
  • On-site conveniences such as a beauty salon and barbershop, dry cleaning pickup and delivery, and a convenience store or commissary
  • An on-site puddle, lawn tennis courts, and/or fitness centre, oftentimes with group exercise classes
  • Big common areas and party spaces for residents to congregate or host friends and family for celebrations

What Is the Average Toll of Independent Living?

The cost of independent living can vary dramatically depending on a community'southward location, amenities, and services provided. Because of this high variation, estimating the average cost of independent living tin can exist difficult. According to research done past Caring.com, one tin wait to pay anywhere from $12,000 to $42,000 per year for independent living, making the average cost approximately $27,000 per year.

Compared to the national average monthly cost of assisted living, $4,051, contained living residents pay roughly thirty-50% less per month than those living in an assisted living customs. For example, if an assisted living community costs $four,500 per month, a comparable independent living community in the same area might cost approximately $3,000 per month. This toll divergence is due to the college level of care offered at assisted living facilities. If someone residing in an independent community does need personal intendance, they will demand to rent their ain aide and pay for those services separately, on meridian of their monthly rate towards the customs.

When considering any independent living customs, exist sure to always ask what is included in the monthly price. While many independent living communities include services similar meals and housekeeping in the monthly cost, others may charge for these services individually or on an every bit-needed basis.

How Can I Pay for Contained Living?

Independent living communities do not administrate medical care, and thus health insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare, does not encompass the cost. If the price of independent living is also high to pay completely out-of-pocket, there are options bachelor to aid lessen the brunt of paying for independent living. Some of the most ordinarily used are:

  • Reverse Mortgage Loans: Opposite mortgages are a loan that one can take out against the value of their primary residence, without having to immediately sell the abode. This enables older adults to transition to contained living without feeling rushed to sell their dwelling house in order to beget their new community. All loanees must repay the reverse mortgage, with interest, once the home does sell, all the same.
  • Long-Term Intendance Insurance: To exist clear, it is very probable that long-term care (LTC) insurance will not cover the total cost of independent living. However, it may cover some of the services received in an IL community, such as prepared meals and transportation assist, lowering your overall cost. Whether or not any independent living is covered will depend on the specific insurance policy.
  • Life Insurance: Though not its intended purpose, it is possible to use one's life insurance policy to pay for later on-in-life expenses such as independent living. Some insurance companies allow policyholders to access their "death benefit" prior to death, though the do good will exist of lesser value. Others may cull to "sell" their policy to a tertiary political party and receive a greenbacks settlement. No thing which route 1 goes, it's important to seriously consider the pros and cons of accessing one'southward life insurance benefit early.
  • Annuities: Annuities are a fund in which a person deposits a lump sum and receives scheduled, regular pay-outs over a specific catamenia of time. The benefit of annuities is that older adults know that they will however have a ready amount of money coming in later in life. This money often comes in handy to pay for later-in-life expenses such as moving to an independent living community.

How Do I Cull an Independent Living Community?

How to Choose Independent Living Community

Choosing an independent living community for yourself or a loved i will come down to several factors, including your budget, personal preferences, and needs. As a first pace, place any "must-have" amenities for yous, your maximum monthly budget, and any services that are necessary for you, such every bit transportation for those who cannot bulldoze.

Once you take a clear thought of your requirements for an independent living community, it's time to begin your search. SeniorHousingNet makes it easy for you to observe independent living communities in your surface area past following three simple steps:

  • Start a search hither. You can either search by location by entering your metropolis or zippo code at the top of the page, or browse by state.
  • Read local independent living listings. View descriptions, plans, photos, and even pricing information on many communities in your expanse.
  • Contact a local advisor to acquire more. Phone call 800-304-7152 to talk to a trained local advisor for free. These trained advisors tin provide one-on-one assistance to help y'all find independent living communities in your expanse that meet your needs.

What Should I Look for in an Assisted Living Community?

Not all independent living communities are created equal. Some offer a more bones environment with some activities and dining, but minimal other amenities. Others offer a luxe lifestyle with aplenty civilities such every bit a state-of-the-fine art fettle eye, indoor and outdoor pools, beautifully-appointed common areas and courtyards, and fifty-fifty a golf grade.

While the amenities and setting may vary betwixt different communities, certain things should remain constant, like condom, security, and cleanliness. Below, we've outlined five cardinal things to wait for in any independent living community to help you find your right fit.

  • Transparency: Ask the community managing director or representative you lot're working with up-front about the community'southward cost, cost structure, and whatever extra fees; the resident contract, if at that place is whatever; and its emergency plans for situations such as COVID-19. If it's hard to get this information or the representative is non forthcoming, it's a sign that advice and transparency are lacking and you may want to look into dissimilar options.
  • Social Environment: If one of your reasons for moving to a senior residential customs is socialization, be on the lookout during your tour for residents participating in activities, congregating amongst themselves, and using common areas and amenities. If you're unable to accept a tour in person, see if you lot can observe any resident reviews online, ask to see an activity agenda/schedule, or ask if the community has a program in identify for prospective residents to speak with electric current residents.
  • Cleanliness: Pay special attending to the cleanliness and condition of common areas, dining rooms, and the outdoor grounds while on your tour. If these mutual spaces are dirty, it may point that the overall housekeeping is defective. If you're unable to bout a community in-person, ask to practice a "live" virtual tour rather than lookout a pre-recorded bout so that yous're seeing the status of the community in real-time.
  • Security and Prophylactic: A high-quality independent living community will have security and condom measures in place to protect residents on a twenty-four hour period-to-day basis as well as in the event of an emergency. For example, many communities accept locked gates that crave a central code to enter, or a security guard on-site around-the-clock. Make certain the customs meets country requirements for emergency equipment like smoke alarms and burn down extinguishers. If you're worried about suffering a medical emergency, enquire if the community uses an emergency medical alert system.
  • Civilities: As mentioned above, the civilities available at independent living communities vary. If at that place is a sure amenity that is on your "must-haves" list, similar a pool for an avid swimmer, be sure to check that the amenity is available, and don't presume that because another community in town had information technology that they all volition. If you aren't concerned nigh whatsoever specific amenity you have some more than flexibility, only notwithstanding be sure to ask about on-site amenities to ensure you'll have enough amusement and activities bachelor to satisfy you.

In addition to focusing on the v points to a higher place, our Contained Living Community Checklist is a useful tool for seniors hoping to move into a community. The included checklist, which tin be printed out and brought with you on community tours, will help you lot both get clear on what you lot desire and remember the right questions to ask so that you can find a community that feels like home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Independent Living Long Term Care?

Independent living is non long-term care. This is because long-term care services like assist with the activities of daily living and nursing care are non provided in independent living communities. Other types of residential senior care similar assisted living and nursing homes are considered long-term care considering they offer higher-level services than independent living.

What Does an Contained Living Customs Provide?

An contained living community provides lifestyle services and amenities such equally prepared meals, transportation, interior and outside maintenance, and planned activities. Information technology also provides an environment for older adults to live in a customs of their peers. Contained living communities exercise not provide personal care assist or medical intendance.

What Is the Difference Betwixt Independent Living and Assisted Living?

The difference between independent living and assisted living is that assisted living provides personal care aid and independent living does not. Both types of communities offer on-site amenities and activities, interior and exterior maintenance, and prepared meals.

Does Medicare Cover Independent Living Communities?

Medicare does not embrace contained living communities. This is because medical care is not an independent living service. For this reason, no form of wellness insurance covers the cost of contained living.

Can I Have Pets In an Independent Living Community?

Yous tin can sometimes have pets in an contained living customs. Each customs sets its own pet policy. Oftentimes, there are brood or size restrictions, and so be certain to cheque each community'due south policy if you hope to take a pet live with yous.