The Next Chapter
What Senior Living Adds To Your Life
Prospective residents and senior caretakers often focus primarily on the respite, care, and comfort available in a senior living community, but we want to remind them of the joy and entertainment that senior living also provides. So often people view senior living as the “final chapter,” a decision that is forced upon seniors — despite how untrue that is.
We want to showcase the happiness and community that the next chapter entails.
In Senior Living, there is an abundance of residents with similar life experiences — same age groups, health conditions, roles as a parent or grandparent. Friendships form quickly and residents easily embrace their new home, as they are with people who understand what they are going through. There is peace in knowing they are not alone. According to ARCO, 55% of senior living residents agreed or strongly agreed that their quality of life was higher now than when they were living alone.
Haley, a Marketing Director at our Fort Myers, FL location, told us about two residents who became best friends shortly after moving into Canterfield. They spend hours sitting on each other’s beds, gossiping, and discussing the artistic careers they each had prior to retirement.
“They’re like teenagers,” she joked. “Connected at the hip.”
Ellin, the COO of Canterfield, recounted a story of her mother-in-law who is a senior living resident. Her mother-in-law was sporting a pink sweater — a color Ellin had never seen her where before. When Ellin asked, she responded gleefully that she had gotten it through a sweater swap within her senior living community. “Kind of like dorm living,” Ellin laughed.
With the wealth of time that comes with maintenance-free living, seniors are also able to embrace hobbies and activities alongside their newfound friends. Springpoint shares, “Social seniors are also likely to be more active seniors, and engaging with others helps stimulate cognitive function, too.”
Gene, a multi-talented individual at our Cumming, GA location, has been teaching residents wood-working. He and several residents have built birdhouses, as well as designed and built their own canes. “I’m having fun around here,” he said. “It’s so important at this age to keep people busy and stay interested.” Watch more of Gene’s story in our Interview Series below.
Edie, a pianist at our Franklin, TN, location, showed off her lifelong love of piano at the Seniors Got Talent Showcase. Her fellow residents and friends attended her performance or, if they couldn’t make it, watched a recording of it in their theater the following day. (Watch her performance here.)
Through all these stories, the camaraderie and companionship within senior living is so palpable. We want prospective residents and caretakers to consider this when making the decision to move into senior living.