When older adults start thinking about downsizing or moving to a retirement community, they often begin looking at 55+ communities. These communities can be described as residential neighborhoods with an age restriction, and, for many, it can seem like an obvious choice. Many 55+ communities on Long Island typically provide services such as outdoor maintenance and a few campus amenities, but they are ultimately limited in the services they offer and the sense of community they foster.
The 55+ communities on Long Island won’t be able to accommodate your wants and needs as you age, creating a new set of challenges later on down the road. You may need to move again one day, in order to find a community that will meet your changing healthcare needs. With this in mind, a 55+ community may be a good fit for today, but will it be a good fit for you throughout your retirement? Or will another move be required down the road?
Instead, seniors should not only think about their current wants and needs, but also how they may evolve in the future. This will be an important consideration when searching for a retirement community because you’ll want to find a place that can continue to meet your changing needs for many years to come.
For many, the solution to this challenge is choosing to move to a Life Plan Community.* As the name suggests, the advantage of choosing a Life Plan Community is that it provides a continuum of services that meets a wide range of healthcare needs, so you can plan your life and your future. No matter how your needs change throughout retirement, you’ll always have access to the right services to meet them.
Wellness Focus
Life Plan Communities can do more for you than just provide healthcare services. They’re also shown to improve the overall wellness of the people who live there. Unlike in a 55+ community, each dimension of wellness is addressed in a Life Plan Community through independent living services, amenities and a sense of community. A community lifestyle offers so many opportunities for social engagement, intellectual pursuit, spiritual growth, emotional health and physical wellness.
A recent study found that Life Plan Community residents reported “greater satisfaction with life, more physical activity, increased personal connections, higher frequency of volunteering, more optimism, greater life purpose, better self-reported health and fewer chronic conditions” when compared to older adults in the community at large.
These results can be linked to the unique lifestyle of residents found in Life Plan Communities, such as Fountaingate Gardens. Residents have all the comforts of their own private home – just as they always have – with additional benefits that help improve wellness.
Residents can walk out their door and find friends and neighbors, nutritious dining options, exercise classes, lectures, art classes, religious services, volunteer opportunities and so much more. Many of these opportunities are either limited or nonexistent in a 55+ community or residential neighborhood for older adults. This active, engaged and healthy lifestyle can only be found in a Life Plan Community.
For more information about Life Plan Communities or Fountaingate Gardens, please give us a call at 631-715-2693.
*also known as a Continuing Care Retirement Community or CCRC
