Retirement Housing Options





Retirement housing is a large concern for many retirees, because people are often going through a life changing experience, where they want to live changes too. Retired people often have more choices for where to live, due to a bigger lack of family and financial obligations. Most people who have hit retirement age still have many options in this regard.

 

Housing for More Active Seniors

Many retirees will still enjoy the advantages of living in a house. If you like having a yard, the ability to start a garden, and the additional space offered by a garage and basement, home ownership may be for you. Houses tend to go up in value, so buying one will rarely lose you money. Compared with most other forms of housing for seniors on their retirement, it will be more expensive, and require more maintenance as well. You will need to shovel in winter, rake in the fall, and cut the grass in summer. For a capable retiree, their own home might be just what they always dreamed of. For others, with all the effort involved it could be nightmare.

If someone has lived in a house all their life, it might be a perfect time to move to an apartment. Many retirees find apartment living to be quite enjoyable. It is one of the cheaper forms of retirement housing. Some apartments in other areas of the country like in the South or Midwest can be $400/month or even less. You don’t have to be concerned about maintenance and many people like the feel of a smaller, cozier home. Many apartments will still allow you to have pets.

 

 

Housing for Senior’s with Health Challenges

Some older people may wish to take advantage of housing specifically designed for the elderly. Some apartments fit these criteria. These can include features like housekeeping help, meal preparation, 24 hour emergency assistance, and large common areas to meet and socialize with other members of the community. Oftentimes the rent in such communities is 30% of your gross adjusted income. Such retirement housing is great for seniors who want to remain active but may need just a little bit of help in day to day living.

For seniors who are having more serious health problems and need more medical assistance, a nursing home may be a viable option. Such a location includes room and board, with the promise of around the clock medical professionals. It is a common complaint of many nursing homes that they tend to feel more like hospitals than homes.

Sometimes due to staffing it is difficult to give every patient the attention they require. There are however over 15,000 nursing homes in the United States, and many are realizing resident oriented care can be more effective. This is when nurses care for a patient for an extended period of time, so they can develop more of a relationship with them.

It tends to make people happier, but the interactions are less impersonal. The average cost of living in a nursing home is roughly $70,000, Making in one of the most expensive types of retirement housing.

If you are retired, there are still lots of fine places to live. Decide on what you want your lifestyle to be like, and take any health issues into consideration. There is no reason to not enjoy where you live in your later years.

 

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