Forty is the old age of youth, fifty is the youth of old age ~ Hosea Ballou
Senior retirement living – now you’re senior, now you’re retired, now it’s time for living.
The children have flown the coop, their rooms are deserted (and tidy!), there are areas that are now seldom, if ever, used … but still have to be cleaned and heated.
What used to be sparkling new … is now looking a bit jaded. There are endless things to repair and a deserted garden to maintain … it’s now time for a change.
As we approach retirement our priorities morph from “status” living to practical living. Flashy cars and large houses being replaced by more practical and pressing concerns like health care and security.
“There is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven;
A time to be born, a time to die; A time to plant, a time to reap;
A time to laugh, a time to weep; A time to kill, a time to heal;
To everything – there is a season; And a time for every purpose under heaven;
A time to build up, a time to break down.”
You start thinking that your ideal home may be a small 2 or 3 bedroom house or apartment … and lots of motels or hotels nearby for the annual children’s and grand-children’s visit!
These lock up and go places are also ideal as one is now free to travel and see all those places and do all those things that always had to be postponed.
There may be another far more stressful reason for investigating your senior retirement living options … looking for ways to reduce living costs.
Consider the fact that 95 out of every 100 retirees will have some kind of financial challenge during their retirement. To survive they will either have to carry on working, down grade their lifestyle or depend on others – either their children, their friends or handouts.
Health concerns will be a growing issue and senior retirement living communities may start looking more and more attractive. With many being developed around specific types of lifestyles and offering a wide range of services and facilities.
A number of these facilities include retirement homes, nursing homes and assisted living resources. This model is cost effective as specialist services can be concentrated into an area and the costs shared.
If you are one of the more fortunate retirees your retirement living choices will not be limited by finance but by your imagination.
You will be looking for places where you can indulge your interests and hobbies and where you can be a part of, and hopefully contribute to, a community with common interests.
You may consider retiring offshore or finding some exotic cheap retirement destination. You may want to spend time having extended holidays in interesting countries, or going back to college, or learning a new language.
This choice is a vital element of the plan as it has a major influence on your retirement financial planning.
So when considering your senior retirement living options use your imagination and really question any preconceived assumptions.
For example I’ve often heard comments like “I want to be near my grandchildren”. In this case it may be worth considering a week, or two, a year of real quality holiday time rather than odd fleeting visits because you live close by. If you choose an interesting and exciting place you won’t be able to keep your family away!
Remember that your grandchildren have their own life and their parents often don’t need interfering grandparents around! For me, to overcome the distance between me in South Africa and my grandchildren in London we complement our twice a year visits with weekly chats on Skype.
Here are some interesting questions to ask yourself as you consider your senior retirement living decision;
- What are you going to do every day? Does it really mean something to you?
- Will you eventually get bored?
- What excites you?
- What would you like to do that you aren’t doing now, or have never done before?
- What will be your life balance?
- Do you have any meaningful hobbies, past times or interests?
- Family – will you possibly impose to satisfy your needs? They need their space and you need yours
- Are you going to travel? How and how often?
- Do you want to live overseas either permanently, or part time?
Be creative and enthusiastic when making your senior retirement living choice …. it’s been what you’ve been dreaming about for a long time … its now time to make your dreams come true.
Retirement Lifestyle Story
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