Unlike what most people think, senior community living comes with a lot of freedom and independence. Most people, however, associate it with dependence and the inability to do anything for yourself. This is not true at all. Living in senior communities is for people looking to maintain their freedom, make their own decisions and expand their horizons. The lifestyle within a senior living community greatly inspires this feeling of liberty.
- Freedom from Home Maintenance and Stressful Yard Work
Senior living communities come with the privilege of maintenance being done for you. No more worrying about home repairs or even yard work despite not being able to do it on your own. No more calling on a family member to assist with household chores and maintenance. You don’t even have to worry about grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning utensils yet you get access to three square meals and get to enjoy it in the company of others. Lastly, you don’t have to worry about supervision when you hire someone else to do it for you and whether they’ll do it properly.
- Freedom of Choice
It’s amazing how we take for granted the ability to make our own decisions. From simple things such as whether to go for a movie, to major decisions such as where to go on vacation. Living in a senior community allows you to make your own decisions. Freedom to make your own choices without thinking of family members. Given that you’re living “alone”, you get to choose how to spend your time, which meals you want to eat, whether you want to travel and many other decisions. It’s like going to college all over again without the hassle of having to study.
- Freedom of Expression
There are very many entertainment activities one can engage in in a senior living community. From book clubs, art clubs, gardening, travelling and even sightseeing. All these provide an avenue for expression. They give you the option of still engaging in activities that define you for who you are. Foodies can sample restaurants within the community; sporty folk can participate in different types of sports, ranging from swimming, golf, board games and any other sport that allows you to be who you are. For those who love art, living in a senior living community grants you the freedom to visit different art galleries or engage in the art form you love be it dancing, painting or even acting.
- Freedom from Dependence on Family Members
As a senior, isn’t it annoying at times to always be dependent on your family members? Well, living in a senior community inspires a sense of independence from your family. You no longer have to call on them for every single thing. You can have your house cleaned, your bulb changed, your lawn mowed and any other chore is done without always having to call on family for assistance.
Guess what? Your social life also no longer just revolves around your family. In the community, you get to make new friends who fill your social life. Of course one is not looking to cut off family completely, but the community allows you to have a life away from your family. How liberating is that?
- Freedom from Stressful Driving
Driving can be quite stressful as we age thanks to our driving abilities not being what they used to be. This could be a result of poor eyesight, physical ailments or even just being plain bored of getting behind the wheel. If this is the case, one can take advantage of free transportation provided in such communities. This means that you are no longer dependent on a car.
Written by The Village Of Bedford Walk, a senior living community in Columbia, MO.
