Who Lives In A Retirement Community?

Everyone starts the process of looking for a retirement community in the same way, they know someone who has looked or lives at a place, they have their kids check into it, and maybe, just maybe they might go for a tour. But who really lives in a retirement community? As someone who has been in sales in the senior housing industry, I have found that there are four types of people that typically move into a senior living community: worriers, planners, health conscious and social butterflies.



The Worriers: These people move because they are concerned about the next time something goes wrong in their house, a leaky roof, the furnace going out, the next BIG snow storm. These people move to a senior community because most communities offer 24 hour maintenance, lawn and snow removal that will alleviate the stress of the person moving in. Most of the time the “worriers” end up with more time to do the things they enjoy doing because they no longer have to be concerned with what they have to do.



I once had a gentleman and his wife come in to look at the community where I was working. Both looked very healthy, but the wife had some dementia. The husband liked to go fishing and would occasionally leave for a fishing trip for a couple of days. He was always worried when he left that she would go out for a walk and get lost or that she would cook something on the stove and forget to turn it off. Moving to a retirement community helped take those worries away. When he went off on a fishing trip, he simply let the community know and they made sure to keep an eye on his wife. He could go and enjoy his trip and know that his wife was safe.



“Worriers” usually will come in to my office after they have settled in and tell me that they wish they had made the move sooner.



The Planners: This generation has saved and saved their whole lives and they want to be able to leave a legacy for their children and grandchildren. The “planners” move to senior living communities because most offer some sort of refundable entrance fee. This allows the resident to preserve some of their nest egg for their family. Also, the monthly fee eliminates having to write several checks every month because many communities include things like maintenance, lawn and snow removal, flexible dining options, transportation, utilities, housekeeping, and fitness memberships. This allows this group to budget more effectively because they no longer have to deal with the fluctuating costs of homeownership, plus, in most cases there are no property taxes to pay!



“Planners” often have dealt with a family member or someone close to them who had a crisis and had to scurry around to try and find a place to go. This group doesn’t want to be a burden to their family and friends when the time comes to make a move. They like to have everything in order and want to be in control of their decision about where to go and when. They tend to choose a community that offers a continuum of care in case they may need further assistance in the future.



The Health Conscious: This group overlaps the two groups above in that there is some worry about their future health and they are looking ahead and planning in case a need should ever arise that may require them to have more care. Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) offer residents the opportunity to move to a higher level of care if a need should arise. Also, most senior living communities offer a variety of health and wellness programs from professionally staffed fitness centers to on-site medical offices that are available to help residents stay healthy and active.



The comfort of knowing that there is nursing staff available 24-hours a day is sometimes all this group needs. They want to know that should something happen there is someone on-site that can respond quickly. This is also great peace-of-mind for family members; at most communities, there is some sort of system that checks on resident’s well-being every day, allowing family to relax and go back to being a son or daughter rather than a caregiver.



Social Butterflies: This last group of people are those that are looking to be connected to their community. A resident can be as active as he or she likes with a wide variety of trips and activities offered every day of the week. Senior housing provides residents with the opportunity to keep active and meet new and interesting people.



A prospect I was working with said that she was excited to be moving to my community because she had been having dinner with the same man for 15 years. I said, “You never told me that you had a husband that was coming with you.” She laughed and said, “I don’t. I have been eating dinner in front of the TV watching Tom Brokaw. I am so excited to finally be able to have a conversation again during dinner!”



Senior living communities are great for people that want to meet new people. I often hear from families that they can’t get in touch of their mom or dad because they are never home. Or, that he or she is busier now than they were when they were working. The opportunity to socialize keeps residents from falling into a sedentary lifestyle and gets them to interact with others with similar interests and backgrounds.



All four of the above groups of people are seeking to find ways to be more independent and enjoy their retirement. It allows them to do the things that they want to do rather than the things that they have to do in their houses.