By Veronika Making the choice to move to a retirement community is a big decision that you will likely have given a lot of thought and consideration to.
Taking the leap from your existing home into a communal living environment can be a great way to boost your independence and to enjoy greater freedom in your senior years.
The retirement communities of today have many great advantages and can simplify many aspects of your life.
When you have decided to make the move to a senior living community, you will, of course, want to find the very best one for your individual needs. This will help to ensure that you enjoy your time in your new home.
Decide What You Need
The very first step before you make any serious decisions is to identify what it is you need from your new home.
If you have specific care requirements, then you will need to look for places that offer this level of assistance. Make sure to do your research thoroughly to know what kind of care will be included. You should also establish what the cost of this is going to be.
It can be wise to choose an assisted living facility that offers extensive levels of care so that you have this option if you do need extra help at this stage in your life.
Frontier Management is a country-wide company striving to bring the very best retirement experience to seniors across the US. Frontier Senior Living options encompass more than 120 residential communities, with thousands of happy residents.
When you are deciding what kind of home you are going to need, it is also worth thinking about whether you want to rent or buy your retirement property. Both of these options come with their own pros and cons, so be sure to think about what is right for you.
Consider Your Budget
Once you know what it is you need from your new home, you can figure out exactly what your budget is.
If you are going to rent a property in a retirement community, then you will need to know how much money you will be able to pay each month.
If you are going to buy your property, then you will have to determine how much you are either able to pay or how much you will be eligible to get a mortgage for. You may have assets that you plan to sell later in life, so be sure to take all potential income streams into consideration.
When you are considering your budget, it is also going to be necessary to take added costs into account.
Added costs may include:
- Ongoing care
- Medical treatments / medications
- Bills (check if these are included)
- Groceries
- Leisure activities
- Travel
Once you have figured out all your possible outgoings and added up these numbers, then you will have a good sense of what your budget is. When you are armed with this information, you will be much better equipped to start searching for your new home.
Get Online
The internet is a fantastic way to research retirement communities near you. This is something you can get help with from a friend or family member if you are not completely confident online.
Researching your options based on your budget and your needs will enable you to come up with a list of possibilities.
Each possible retirement community will have its own website that you can explore to read more about each option. This is a great way to get a feel for a place and to learn more about the different facilities that are available.
By looking at the websites of different communities, you might find that your list becomes shorter. This is because you may exclude certain options that you are not completely happy with.
Ask Questions
The next step is to reach out to the retirement homes that are still on your list and to ask them any further questions that are on your mind.
Keep a record of the responses so that you can refer to it when the time comes to make your final decision.
There’s no such thing as too many questions when it comes to this all-important process. You should feel confident and comfortable to obtain all of the information that you feel you need.
It can be a good idea to ask a loved one for help with this process so that you can be sure you aren’t missing anything out. The person that you ask for help may have considered very important questions that haven’t yet crossed your mind. If you can ask more than one person for their advice, then that could be all the more helpful.
Go for a Visit
After you have spoken to all of your potential retirement communities to ask your questions, you should now think about scheduling visits to your favorites.
By this point, your list of options may be quite short. This is great as it means you have eliminated the homes that are not suitable for you and can focus more seriously on the best options.
There is no rush to go and visit the homes on your list, and it can be better to space these visits out instead of trying to do them close together. This gives you time to truly think about each place after you visit it and to contact them again with any follow-up questions or concerns.
If you feel as though you need to visit a place more than once, then you absolutely should. You must be completely satisfied that you are going to be happy and comfortable in the community that you choose.
While you are on each visit, speak to residents and staff if it’s possible to do so. Try to get a feel for how other people are enjoying their time there and try to imagine yourself living there. Take a look at all of the facilities and the communal areas in which you will be spending the majority of your time. And, of course, make sure you get to see the homes themselves so that you can see if they are to your liking.
The Final Decision
It is great if you have people to help you with your final decision, but this choice should inevitably always rest with you.
You will hopefully find that you are drawn to one place more than the rest after you have conducted your visits. Trust your instincts but be practical with your decision-making.
This could be your home for many years ahead, so it is important that you are excited about your decision and eager to move there!
Lorenzo Billie 
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