Communal Living: A New Trend For Seniors
Introduction
Do you dread the thought of living by yourself as you grow older and worry what will happen if you need a little assistance? What if your family can’t be there to care for you? Is it time to just give up on any dreams of independence and embrace assisted living instead? A new trend in senior living offers an innovative (and affordable) alternative for those who want to stay in their own homes. It’s called communal living, or co-housing, which is designed specifically with seniors in mind.
For those who don’t know what communal living is, it is simply a group of individuals who band together in one location and share communal living space.
The facility consists of a number of private apartments that interconnect with common areas such as kitchens, dining rooms and other communal spaces. Some facilities go as far as to offer recreational activities for seniors such as gardening, taking walks, yoga classes and more. These facilities also have access to services that are made available to their residents on an as-needed basis.
What Are The Types Of Communal Living For Seniors?
1. Senior Housing
One of the most common types of communal living is called senior housing. This is a fairly new concept that has been gaining momentum in recent years. Seniors who need assistance transitioning into an assisted living facility or housing complex usually have more flexibility with this style of senior living as they are able to spend their days as they choose. The rooms are designed to be bright, cheery and spacious with amenities that allow seniors to live independently while having assistance for minor medical needs.
2. Partial Residential Care
Another type of senior housing is called partial residential care . This type of senior living arrangement is very similar to assisted living except that the resident only receives assistance with certain aspects of daily life such as bathing, toileting, dressing and eating. This allows the resident to live independently while having services such as housekeeping and management available in case they feel like taking a walk or going shopping.
There are also different levels of communal living facilities, some of which are designed for those who want to be independent while others provide for those who need a little assistance from their friends.
Communal living facilities offer the benefits of home ownership without the responsibilities. The facility will provide all of the biggest expenses such as repairing and maintaining the property, paying staff salaries, utilities and common area expenses.
Why Should Seniors Choose Communal Living?
What are the benefits to living in a communal living facility for seniors? Well, it essentially provides all of the benefits of home ownership without the responsibilities. The facility will provide all of the biggest expenses such as repairing and maintaining the property, paying staff salaries, utilities and common area expenses. If you find yourself wanting to move around from place to place or have a difficult time committing to one location this lifestyle option could be just what you’re looking for.
Communal living isn’t just a single-generation concept either; how many couples who are partaking in this lifestyle are sharing their space with children and grandchildren. This is very popular among the baby boomer generation who are retiring and want to have a “family-like” atmosphere where they can enjoy their golden years with their loved ones.
The beauty of Senior Living facilities is that you don’t need a large amount of capital to get started. With the cost of senior living being cheaper than ever before, many people are able to afford living in an assisted living complex. This allows seniors to remain in their own homes while still having the resources and services they need. Many other communities provide these amenities as well such as a library, affordable medical services, extra activities such as walking club or an exercise room and more.
Is Communal Living Safe For Seniors?
This type of senior living could be a great option for you if you are worried about the personal safety of your life. A communal living facility is a group of seniors sharing one location at once, which means they will have more access to each other than you would at your own home. You might not feel as safe with someone coming into your space when no one is watching, especially if that person is performing an outside task such as gardening.
The lack of privacy could also make it difficult to meet new people as well, which could pose a dangerous risk with strangers who may come to visit or obtain information about the residents.
Another major concern is that if you are unable to live your life independently you could certainly have difficulty maintaining the communal living facility. If you don’t have the ability to bathe or feed yourself, for example, it would be difficult to live in a setting such as this.
Do Seniors Pay More For Communal Living?
Communal living is significantly cheaper than many other senior living options. Often, units in assisted living and senior housing facilities are on the pricey side, costing anywhere from $1,500-$2,000 a month.
With communal living, you only need to pay for the space you are occupying. There is no additional monthly fee besides the cost of your utilities. This is an attractive option to many seniors because they can use their personal savings to pay for communal living, while still being able to live in their own homes.
The most affordable senior living options aren’t typically co-housing or assisted living facilities, though. Many communities offer low or no cost apartments if you are just looking for a place to rent on a short term basis where you won’t be paying rent each month.
Conclusion
Communal living is a very interesting trend that provides seniors with the freedom to live independent lives while having the support they need to get through their final years. It’s a great way for people who are ready to make that big leap into senior living but want to stay at home. The process of finding a community is pretty easy and should be completed instantly with the help of a senior housing advisor.
Communal living is a great way for seniors to keep their independence without having to sacrifice any convenience. A communal living arrangement allows seniors to live at home and enjoy being pampered in a way that individuals who live in private homes or assisted living facilities never get to experience.