Where Will You Live When You Retire? Senior Housing Options and What They Mean

Where will you live when you retire? It’s a serious question and not one to be taken lightly. After all, there are many senior housing options

For many people, the answer is simple – staying at home. Living in a familiar environment certainly has its advantages. You might not want to give up the home that you’ve lived in and loved for so long.

But, aging at home alone isn’t always realistic. Aging comes with many health problems. Some may be mild, while others are much more severe. Many will influence your ability to safely live on your own and meet your needs.

Thinking about where you’re going to retire is crucial. Adult children and caregivers with elderly family members may need to think about this too. Where are their loved ones going to live?

And, let’s be honest. Housing can get confusing fast, especially for seniors.

There are so many options, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The best one will depend on the senior’s needs, their preferences, and their financial situation.

So, in this post, we’re going to run through the main options, along with some important terms to be aware of. We’ll also show you where to find more information on each option, so you can make an informed decision.

Some Important Terms

Aging in Place

Aging in place simply refers to remaining in your own home. It can be defined as: “The ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.”

Recent years have seen a growing focus on the value of aging in place, which has included various programs to make aging in community safer and more realistic.  

Independent Living

Independent living means that you’re responsible for your own needs. Living in your own house is the most obvious example, but there are many other types of independent living too.

For example, you might have an apartment or set of rooms in a retirement home where you are still living independently, but there are shared facilities that you can access if you want to.

Senior Community

Senior community is a general term. It tends to mean housing that is designed for seniors in some way or another, so it can cover a broad range of different situations.

For example, a gated retirement community is sometimes called a senior community. Here, seniors tend to own their own homes and are independent. While retirement communities often offer many social activities, most don’t provide health services or support for daily living.

In contrast, assisted living facilities might also go by the term senior community. These environments provide seniors with much more support, but often mean that seniors don’t have the same degree of independence and freedom that they would in their own house.

Independent Living

Living on your own is the ideal for many people. This gives you the most control over your environment. However, there are pros and cons to living on your own – especially if you have a health condition or find movement difficult.

And, on a side note, we’re including the idea of living with a partner in this category. After all, couples generally want to live in the same place.

You could also hire a caregiver or in-home help in many of these situations. Doing so can get expensive, but is an alternative to moving into an assisted living facility or somewhere similar.

Your Family Home

Staying in your own home is often the most appealing one of these senior housing options – and it has some strong pros and cons.

The good things are obvious. You’re in a familiar environment with established social connections. Everything is already set up. You might even be living mortgage free.

Your home might be linked to many positive memories too. Perhaps it was the home that you raised your kids in. Leaving all of that behind could be a wrench and your kids mightn’t want you to sell the house either.  

However, there are distinct problems too.

While your home might be perfect for a family, it could easily be too large for you (or you and your partner). It might not be set up for aging either. For example, stairs can become a problem with age and increase the chance of a fall. This can make two-story houses a serious concern, especially if the bedrooms are on the second floor.

Downsizing

Downsizing is the next step. This means that you’re finding a smaller place. Perhaps it is somewhere that you’ll live on your own or perhaps you’ll share it with others.

Either way, downsizing means that you have a smaller place, one that should involve less maintenance. For example, you might shift from a 3-bedroom house to a small 1-bedroom place or even an apartment.

Doing so means fewer things to clean, to organize, and to maintain. You can also make sure the place fits your needs well. This may mean finding a single story place that is easy to navigate and isn’t so cluttered.

Downsizing gives you the chance to do some decluttering too. This can be an excellent way to raise some money and get rid of junk at the same time.

If you own your home, selling the place and downsizing could even earn you some money. This could be put aside to help with your retirement.

Senior Apartments

A senior apartment is simply an apartment that is targeted at seniors. You get the benefits of apartment living, such as having a smaller environment to take care of, less maintenance, and lower costs.

Senior apartment buildings can vary. Some may target low income seniors or offer subsidized housing

There may be an age restriction too, something that you might find in some other senior housing options too.

• In 55+ housing, most households need to have at least member who is above 55 years of age. There may be restrictions on who the other household members can be as well, although spouses tend to be permitted in most situations.
• In 62+ housing, all occupants need to be above the age of 62. The main exception is cases where the occupant needs a caregiver to live with them.

Senior apartments can have many advantages, giving you the chance to be fully independent without the challenges of a large house. Still, you’ll need to carefully look at the terms and conditions of the apartment before you commit yourself, as some may be unexpected.  

Retirement Communities

Retirement communities come in many forms these days. The basic idea is that they’re settings where many retired people live in close proximity to one another, often in some type of residential community.

Most of the time, retirement communities focus on individual living. Residents still meet all their own needs and live in their own houses. The main benefit is simply living in an environment with many people of the same age.

Retirement communities often have a focus on social activities too. These make social connections easier to develop and can be enjoyable. Some retirement communities provide extra types of support, such as regular shared meals between residents or shared services that residents can sign up for.

Retirement communities have many advantages. Being near many people your own can be appealing and the activities can make life much more interesting. However, there are some notable disadvantages too.

Retirement Homes

Retirement homes is a general term, one that can sometimes refer to assisted living or nursing home environments.

However, for the most part, a retirement home is a multiple residence facility designed for seniors. Seniors tend to live on their own or as couples in apartment-style rooms. Some retirement homes have distinct apartments that are separate from the main building, which could have gardens or patios.

Retirement homes often don’t provide much, or any, assistance with daily tasks, which makes them an independent living option. However, most will provide various activities and shared facilities that you can take advantage of.

The combination of features can make retirement homes a good choice for seniors who don’t need support, but do want more connections. Of course, you’ll need to look closely at what the facility provides to be sure that it matches your needs.

Other Options

You might find other senior housing options in the independent living arena too, like a housing co-op, living with roommates, and apartment-style communities.

The general idea is that you’re left to your own devices and have your own dwelling area. Some areas might be shared, like a communal kitchen or living room, which isn’t so different than flatting in your younger years.

Some independent living solutions might cater for all ages, while others are senior-specific.

A senior-specific location can be helpful for social connection, as you’re near people your own age, many of whom will be retired. This should mean fewer disruptions and no loud parties compared to living near a diverse age range.

Still, the situation has its downsides too. Some seniors find that they prefer being around a diverse age range.

Living Situations with Extra Support

Many seniors get to the point where living on their own isn’t safe or healthy. But, this doesn’t mean that you need around-the-clock care. Instead, you can choose your living situation based on the amount of support that you need.

Moving in with Family

Moving in with family is the most obvious choice for many people. For one thing, doing so is cheaper than any type of assisted living.

Living with family is also flexible, as you and they get to decide what the parameters are, along with how much support they provide you.

Many seniors find living with family less daunting than moving to a facility. And, adult children often want to support their family members in this way.

However, it’s crucial to weigh up the pros and cons. Living with family can be more difficult, stressful, and even lonely than you might expect. Similarly, assisted living environments can be surprisingly enjoyable, giving you plenty of connection and freedom.  

Assisted Living

If you can’t live safely on your own, then assisted living is the obvious next step.

As the name suggests, these environments provide additional support, with a focus daily living needs. This can include help with medication management, housekeeping, laundry, and food preparation. Assistance with mobility, bathing, and dressing may be provided, but medical support tends to be limited.

Exactly what assisted living looks like varies depending on where you live, as there are various state regulations, along with differences between one assisted living facility and another. This can mean that some assisted living facilities provide much more support than others.

Like other options, assisted living has notable advantages and disadvantages. Benefits include the increased amount of support, the social environment, amenities, and any offered activities. Disadvantages include more rules and regulations, along with the cost of living at the facility.

While assisted living is perfect for some people, the amount of medical care is limited. So, people with complex health needs might not get enough support.

This means that it’s critical to weigh up your needs before turning to assisted living. The facility won’t be useful if your needs are far above what they can offer.

This is something to consider on a case-by-case basis. Assisted living facilities can be quite different from each other. The amount of care they provide varies dramatically. This could make some facilities a better choice than others.  

Nursing Home

Nursing homes are a little different. They focus on around-the-clock care. Residents often have complex health needs and the staff on site is skilled in providing the required care. This will often mean that there are nurses on site, along with physical therapists.

Nursing homes often feel more clinical than assisted living facilities. This isn’t too surprising, as they are providing specialized medical care and the facility is designed so that everything operates smoothly.

While this type of environment might seem less appealing, it can be essential if you have a serious illness or require assistance with tasks like going to the bathroom.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities

Most senior housing options focus on either independent living or living with assistance. Continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) are a little different idea. They provide multiple types of living on a single campus, including independent living, assisted living, and nursing home care.

This setup allows community members to easily transition between care settings as their needs change.

So, needing more support won’t mean that you have to find an entirely new place to live. You might just move to a different part of the community instead. Plus, CCRCs are designed with such transitions in mind, which helps to create a seamless process where you are supported along the way.

The biggest problem is price. CCRCs are more expensive than most other options, so won’t be suitable for most low-income seniors.

Things to Think About

Many things can influence the best housing choices for you. You’ll need to weigh these up when looking at your next move.

Doing this is important, as where you live can strongly influence your quality of life and even your mental health.

Finances

Finding money for housing can be difficult, especially as seniors often need extra support and are on a fixed income. Finding affordable housing for seniors is often a crucial first step, although some senior housing options are more affordable than others.

That’s a big field and we’re not going to dig into it here. You can check out our Affordable Housing for Seniors Guide instead.

There may also be other sources of support, particularly for assisted living. AgingCare offers a detailed guide that focuses on ways to pay for assisted living and another one for ways to pay for independent living. These powerful posts can help you work out your options, along with how you can move forward.

Living as a Couple

We’ve been focusing on single seniors with this post. But, in practice, many retirees have a partner, so they’ll be looking for housing options that suit couples.

Most senior housing options will work just as well for a couple as for a single senior. Some may be easier with two than one, as you can support each other practically and financially.

However, you’ll need to closely look at the requirements for the community that you’re looking at. Some may focus on single people only or may have different eligibility requirements for couples.

Pay attention to age requirements too.

Some communities focus on seniors aged 55+, 62+ or a different age requirement. This normally means that at least one person in the household needs to be above that age. However, there are times where all members of the household need to be.

The latter situation could be a problem if one person is above the age requirement and the other isn’t. The issue may be more pronounced for age-gap couples, especially in cases where one partner is 10 or more years older than the other.

Other Family Arrangements

You might be in a different situation again. For example, seniors who are friends might choose to get an apartment together, even though they’re not a couple.

Some seniors may be helping to raise grandchildren or even acting as a caregiver for their own parents. Such situations can make housing more complicated, especially if you’re looking at an age-restricted community.

You’ll need to look at the requirements of any community closely. Talk to some of the people in charge too. They might be able to make an exception for your specific situation.

Location

Where you live matters too.

For example, climate varies from state-to-state. Seniors often look for warmer environments to retire in, as too much cold can be uncomfortable on their joints and snow in winter can make mobility even more difficult.

Of course, too much heat mightn’t be good either, so you’ll need to think about your personal ideals.

What about family? Do you want to live close to your children and grandchildren?

Even the location within a city matters. Before you decide on a given housing option, check out the surrounding area. How easy or difficult is it to get around? What about parking? Public transport? How walkable is the environment? Are you close to a doctor’s office, a grocery store, and other important locations?

Being able to easily get around can have a huge impact on your physical and mental health.

What You Want

Take the time to think about what is important to you too. This will strongly influence which of these senior housing options is the best fit. Some important questions include:

• Do you want to be mostly around people your own age or a wider age range?
• How much extra support do you need?
• Do you plan to do your own cooking?
• What creature comforts do you want (like television, WiFi, and activities)?
• Do you want pets?
• How large do you want your living environment to be?
• Do you want your own kitchen and/or lounge, or are you comfortable with a single private room?
• Do you want to live on your own or with other people?

Be sure to talk things over with other people too. They will be able to offer other perspectives, including things that you mightn’t have thought about.

The Current Situation and Senior Housing Options

At the time of writing, COVID-19 is wrecking havoc in the United States and in many other countries. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to the virus. Efforts to keep seniors safe often involve keeping them distant from others, which has led to many new rules and processes at senior facilities.

Crises like this one can strongly influence which senior housing options are viable and how they compare. .

For one thing, it’s much harder to get into an assisted living facility or a nursing home right now. Researching the best place may be more difficult too, as family members cannot easily visit, talk to residents, or see potential rooms for themselves.

There’s also a debate about whether facilities are better or worse for seniors right now.

They are safer in one sense, as the facility can keep a close watch on everyone who comes and goes, can test regularly, and can set up systems to reduce the risk of contamination. Taking those steps at home might be much more difficult, especially for times where seniors are living with family members. After all, if you’re going to work regularly and your kids go to school, there are many potential paths of exposure for the senior.

On the other hand, nursing homes and assisted living facilities can become hotbeds for the virus. There’s the risk that if one senior catches the virus, it will rapidly spread throughout the facility. Good protocols should be enough to stop this from happening. But, there are already plenty of cases where it has, so the concern is a valid one.

There isn’t a single correct answer here. After all, life doesn’t always present us with ideal choices. We often simply need to choose the best option from the ones that are available. Instead, you’ll need to weigh up everyone’s needs in light in the current situation.