What to consider when looking to downsize into a retirement village

Q. My hubby and I are successful our precocious 60s and privation to downsize from our ample home. Fortunately, we are steadfast and active. We are trying to determine if we privation to determination to a status assemblage wherever 1 lives independently with those of akin ages oregon to a status assemblage that is much diverse. What should we beryllium considering?   

Thank you for raising the contented of downsizing. At immoderate point, astir older adults entertain the subject. It whitethorn beryllium desiring little space, oregon adjacent more, geographically relocating oregon conscionable getting escaped of stuff. Sometimes the second tin beryllium the astir challenging.   

Retirement communities person an absorbing history. They day backmost to 1960 erstwhile Delbert Eugene Webb opened 5 exemplary homes successful Sun City successful the Phoenix area. The conception was new.  It had been expected that older adults would retreat from beingness and beryllium astatine location during their aureate years. It was unheard of for these adults to propulsion up their roots, determination to a abrogation spot, bargain a caller location and clasp amusive and pleasance with radical who were akin to them. According to a institution history, galore thought it would fail. The other happened. On that opening day, thousands of cars were lined up with much than 100,000 visitors. That aforesaid time 237 homes were sold representing $2.5 cardinal successful sales. The institution planned to merchantability 1,700 homes successful the archetypal 3 years. In conscionable their archetypal year, 2,000 homes had been purchased.  Currently, determination are 59 Del Webb communities successful 20 states. 

So, what is simply a status community? It is an age-homogenous surviving situation for radical successful mid- to aboriginal life. Most residents are retired; others are not. These are planned communities ranging from a humble mobile location to a luxurious five-bedroom location with a three-car store and a presumption of a play course. Large status communities specified arsenic those successful Florida, California and Arizona often person astir each the facilities needed by their residents specified arsenic shopping, banking, recreational facilities and more. The situation is harmless and protected. Smaller status communities often are adjacent towns, cities and adjacent universities.

Living successful specified communities provides comfortableness for its residents, protecting them to immoderate grade from transgression and from being stigmatized successful a nine that values younker implicit older age. It helps them debar being perceived arsenic an aged idiosyncratic assumed to beryllium babelike and declining and possibly adjacent suffering from dementia, astir often untrue.

California has galore elder surviving status communities. See https://www.55places.com/california/region/southern-california. 

A bully illustration is Laguna Woods successful Orange County with 18,000 residents. It is restricted to those property 55 and older who typically tin attraction for themselves. It is simply a metropolis designed for an progressive manner with 250 clubs, play courses, swimming pools, tennis facilities, an equestrian center, performing arts workplace and more. Several lodging models see condominiums, cooperatives and single-member homes. Many residents proceed to enactment and a tiny percent of residents person children nether 18 years surviving with them. A comparable illustration is Leisure World successful Seal Beach.

Another planned status assemblage receiving tons of attraction is The Villages successful cardinal Florida. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, it is the fastest-growing metropolitan country successful the nation. The Villages is simply a master-planned status assemblage for those property 55 and older. Paul Irving, president of the Center for the Future of Aging astatine the Milken Institute writes successful PBS Next Avenue, a integer level for those property 50 and older, “residents (of The Villages) are lured by lukewarm winters, pastel-hued homes, play carts and pickleball courts. The colonisation is astir 80,000 up from astir 51,000 successful 2010. The Villages has been praised and is the taxable of the award-winning film, “Some Kind of Heaven.”  

Although specified status communities proceed to turn and are popular, it’s not for everyone. Irving is 1 of those people.  

“If communities similar The Villages correspond the aboriginal of aging, delight number maine and galore of america out,” wrote Irving successful PBS Next Avenue.  

Although these age-restricted status communities proceed to grow, determination is besides a question towards much intergenerational and divers status communities.  

Next week, we’ll picture immoderate of those communities and suggest immoderate enactment steps that mightiness assistance successful making the decision.

Thank you, A.B. for your bully question. In the meantime, enactment safe, beryllium good and bully to yourself and others. 

Helen Dennis is simply a nationally recognized person connected issues of aging, employment and the caller status with academic, firm and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments astatine Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen astatine HelenMdennis.com and travel her connected facebook.com/SuccessfulagingCommunity