Independent Living for Seniors

While you must be healthy and self-sufficient in order to live in a senior Independent Living facility, many household tasks might be part of the community's service offerings, including laundry, linen service, group meals, local transportation, and planned social and cultural activities.

Some people dream of spending their retirement in a community of peers, where they can enjoy ready access to a wide variety of social, cultural and fitness activities. Others love the idea of moving to a smaller home that is easy to care for, surrounded by similar senior residences. The common denominator in both visions is self-sufficiency.

What is Independent Living for seniors?

Among the many senior housing options available, Independent Living provides the greatest versatility and freedom. Independent Living for seniors refers to residence in a compact, easy-to-maintain, private apartment or house within a community of seniors. Any housing arrangement designed exclusively for seniors (generally those age 55+; in some cases the age requirement is 62+) may be classified as an Independent Living community.

Independent Living for seniors is also known as:

• Retirement Communities
• Retirement Homes
• Senior Apartments
• Senior Housing
• Independent Living Communities.

As the name implies, Independent Living is just that: the ability to maintain one's residence and lifestyle without custodial or medical assistance. If custodial or medical care becomes necessary, residents in Independent Living for seniors are permitted to bring in outside services of their choice.

The key characteristics of Senior Independent Living include:

Differences between Independent Living differ and Assisted Living or Congregate Housing

Seniors who opt for Independent Living must be able to manage their home and personal needs on their own. In an Assisted Living facility, by contrast, residents require and receive some custodial care, such as help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and eating. Medical care is limited. CCRC’s allow for independent living in separate houses or apartments, with the addition of both custodial (Assisted Living) care and medical (Nursing Home) care as necessary. CCRC residents can move back and forth between various facilities in the same general location, as their needs for care change over time. Unlike CCRC’s, Independent Living by itself is entirely separate from nursing homes or assisted living facilities, which may be quite a distance away from the independent living community.

Good candidates for Independent Living

Independent Living is ideal for seniors who:

• are healthy and able to care for themselves;
• want to live independently;
• desire the security to be found in a seniors-only community;
• no longer want to maintain a house;
• prefer to live among their peers;
• can communicate with doctors and caregivers by themselves, or with the help of family or friends, but without the help of trained, onsite staff;
• have enough money to pay for the kind of home they are looking for, or else can be satisfied with subsidized housing.

If a senior needs occasional personal or medical care, they must be able to bring in health care providers from outside the community.

Types of Independent Living options available

The physical structure of Independent Living facilities is quite diverse. As noted above, any housing arrangement designed exclusively for seniors qualifies as senior Independent Living.

The available communal space depends upon the Independent Living community. Some provide only a small communal sitting room. Others have entire community centers that include dining rooms and recreational facilities. Most Independent Living units include small kitchens, and some communities also offer meals in a communal dining area. The cost of the facility reflects the amount of community space and its designated use.
The most common types of Independent Living communities for seniors are:

• Senior apartments
• Low-income housing
• Retirement communities

Senior Apartments

Senior apartments are apartment complexes restricted by age, usually 55+. Some senior apartments are converted private homes or converted apartment complexes.

When senior complexes are constructed or remodeled from existing structures, assistive technologies such as handrails and pullcords are often built in as an added value for seniors.

Some senior apartment complexes provide community services such as recreational programs, transportation services, and meals in a communal dining room.

Low-Income Housing

Many senior apartment complexes are subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Because these apartments are usually rented at below-market rates, waiting lists can take years to turn over.

Retirement Communities

Retirement communities are groups of homes or condominiums that are restricted to seniors age 55 and over (or in some cases, 62+). Retirement communities may be:

• single-family or attached homes
• mobile or manufactured homes
• cluster housing
• standard subdivisions

Depending on the particular community, residents may lease or buy their housing unit. Some senior communities are enormous, with residents numbering in the thousands. Others have only a few hundred residents. Again, the services and shared facilities vary.

Manufactured Home Communities for Seniors

A manufactured home community is special type of community where affordable manufactured homes are offered. A manufactured house is a low-cost option for housing and today’s manufactured homes are high-quality and allow customizations for senior citizens. Some of the communities are not just seniors they may offer a blend of lifestyles and families.

Bertakis Development offers Michigan manufactured home communities for seniors and Texas manufactured home communities. Packages are available for seniors for home maintenance, lawn care and health care.