The Advantages of 55 and Older Communities for Empty Nesters

55 and older communities in Colorado

Anyone who has already reached the age of 55 might already be thinking of retirement and their strategy for taking it easy after they no longer go to their regular workplace. For empty nesters, the issue can become somewhat more emotional as their children and grandchildren might have moved to a different area and they could have difficulty in visiting them in an old people’s home or an assisted living community.

55 and older communities for elders, however, offer far more freedom than you might imagine, especially if you’re not bedridden and you can still continue with your life as normal. You can get visits from family members and friends just about any time, and some communities will also allow you to visit them, even providing you with a driver if you can’t drive yourself.

The advantages of 55 and older communities are manifold. You’ll find that they will change your life for the better, if you haven’t had many friends and you’ve been feeling lonely since your children have left to start their own families.

  • Unlike an old people’s home or an assisted living community, a 55 and older communities in Colorado will provide you with all the freedom you want. While there is an age limit, people there have the ability to buy apartments, settle down, use local amenities, benefit from improved safety and security, and form closer bonds with peers that are close in age to them.
  • The age restriction isn’t even that bad. Most communities don’t focus on age policing, so if you want to move there with your child or stay with your grandchild, it should be fine. The rule of thumb for most 55 and older communities is that at least 80% of the community should abide by the age restriction. The remaining 20% can be younger than 55, provided that they abide by any other restrictions or regulations that might be at hand.
  • Most 55 and older communities in Colorado put special emphasis on fitness and exercise. You can benefit from active living at its best here, with gyms and supportive programs for improved health. Also, the communities themselves are often built on supportive social values, which will allow you to make friends easily and feel genuinely supported during the later years of your life.
  • For empty nesters, joining a community for elders might sound daunting. Your children left the house maybe a while ago, and now you’re facing the prospect of going to live in a place where everyone is a stranger. In 55 and older communities, however, people don’t remain strangers for long. Social events that will allow you to bond with like-minded individuals are quite abundant, as you can take part in writing clubs, Bible studies, games, charity events, movie nights and many other exciting activities.

Living in an old people’s home doesn’t sound all that exciting. However, once you see one of these 55 and older communities up close, you’ll realize that it’s nothing like a nursing home or even a common assisted living community. Instead, it might just be a place that will help you feel young again and jumpstart your life even when you thought it might be headed into a darker place.