When you were a kid, you may have wondered what life would be like once you could drive, live in your own home, or go to work. Now that you’ve lived the answers to those questions, your mind may be turning to a new conundrum: What’s life like at a senior living community? In the past, older adults moved into senior living communities only when health concerns necessitated it, but today’s seniors are happily opting to make the move to senior living – many while they’re still healthy and quite active. And they’re discovering that their new lifestyle is rich with purpose, meaning and connection.

A Day in the Life

It can be difficult to give a precise picture of daily life in a senior living community because the schedule depends entirely on you. What are your preferences and inclinations? Would you like to wake up early for a morning walk through beautifully landscaped grounds? Meet a friend for a restaurant-style on-campus lunch? Practice a new creative hobby in the community art studio? Go on a group outing to the movies?

Although the shape of each day is highly individualized, most people who move to a senior living community find that their new lifestyle offers expansive possibilities. That’s because a senior living community provides you with:

  • Freedom to make the most of your time. In addition to having the autonomy to determine how you spend your days, you have more free time to do the things you enjoy. Senior living communities provide services like housekeeping, chef-prepared meals, groundskeeping and home upkeep, so your to-do list that used to be filled with routine chores now has more room for activities that keep you happy, healthy and flourishing.
  • Convenient access to helpful services. Senior living communities gather onto one campus an array of amenities and services so the facilities and features you need to live fully and well — a beauty salon, a fitness center, postal services — are often only steps from your home.
  • Opportunities to be active. With fitness classes, educational events, daytrips into the local community, and garden plots for residents, senior living gives you the chance to fill your day with as many — or as few — activities as you like.
  • A lively social scene. Your social circle can contract as you get older, but a senior living community offers an eclectic mix of new neighbors and friends with whom you can explore common interests and enjoy camaraderie.

The Benefits of Senior Living Communities

An active, engaged, maintenance-free lifestyle may seem like motive enough to move to a senior living community. But there’s an additional reason senior living is a beneficial choice — it supports overall health and well-being by:

  • Supporting social connection. A quarter of adults age 65 and older feel lonely or socially isolated, which is linked to numerous health conditions, such as an increased risk of dementia and premature death. The social engagement fostered in senior living communities can help prevent loneliness.
  • Fostering a sense of purpose. The wealth of activities and friendships provided in a senior living community gives meaning and purpose to life, which research suggests plays an important role in maintaining physical function as you get older.
  • Encouraging physical activity. Staying active has a host of benefits, including improved brain health, reduced risk of disease, and stronger bones and muscles so you can continue to perform daily activities. Senior living communities make it easy to keep moving, whether you attend fitness classes, work in the resident garden or swim in the on-campus pool.
  • Promoting good nutrition. When it comes to cooking for yourself, you may be tempted as you get older to choose convenience foods with low nutritional value. In a senior living community, a variety of dining options and dietitian-prepared menus ensure that you have an abundance of healthy — and delicious — choices.

Different Levels of Support, Same Benefits

The perks and pleasures of senior living are enjoyed by seniors in Independent Living and in Assisted Living, where a helping hand can provide the support residents need to be active and engaged.

At Eagle Senior Living, we strive to cultivate vibrant, active senior living communities where residents of Independent Living and Assisted living have the opportunity to thrive. Learn more about our locations in seven different states and contact us to discover for yourself what the senior lifestyle is like at Eagle Senior Living.