Florida has the largest number of senior citizens in the country, with 5.5 million people over the age of 60.
When you’ve got a loved one who lives alone, it’s natural to start exploring the idea of retirement communities. These are abundant in a state like Florida, making it easy to find care, but difficult in many ways to find the right type of care.
To sift through the retirement living options, you have to have a set of criteria to judge them by. In today’s post, we’ll help you find the perfect Sun City retirement community for your loved one by looking at the role of physical activity.
By finding an active adult community, your loved one can look after their physical health. As we all know, physical health impacts mental and cognitive health as well. Keep reading and you’ll be able to select senior living in Sun City with ease.
Retirement Living Options
Before you begin assessing the senior living communities in your general area, you need to take a close look at your loved one’s needs. There are a few different types of senior communities out there, all of which may prioritize physical activity.
Broadly speaking, your loved one is either healthy for their age or they’ve got age-related health issues slowing them down. If they fall into the former category, they’ll need an independent living/retirement community. If it’s the latter, they’ll need an assisted living community.
Retirement communities function like adult dormitories. They give residents plenty of freedom but have various amenities to make life simpler and lower maintenance. Assisted living communities do the same, but have staff available 24/7 to assist residents with their unique needs (getting dressed, bathing, taking meds, etc.)
For those with Alzheimer’s/dementia, there’s memory care. These services are offered through some assisted living communities, providing highly trained staff to help residents navigate their complex symptoms.
Choose the right type of care and you’ll maximize your loved one’s senior living experience. From there, you can start to examine the role of physical activity in each community’s care plan.
Read Reviews and Testimonials
Start your search by Googling, “active adult community in Sun City”. Knowing what type of care you need, you can whittle down the selection and begin reading reviews and testimonials. No one can tell you more about a community than the relatives of current and past residents.
Search through the reviews, looking for specific mentions of amenities and activities. You can also look for red flags that indicate issues with a community’s care or level of maintenance.
Use the reviews to narrow your search down to a few of the most reputable communities that prioritize active lifestyles. Schedule tours so your loved one can see them in person and make an informed decision about their future.
Importance of Location
Location is an important consideration when choosing a senior community. Where a community is situated will determine certain aspects of your loved one’s lifestyle moving forward.
For most seniors, an active lifestyle means being able to get outside and experience local amenities. If their community is in the middle of nowhere, it won’t be easy for them to go shopping, eat at restaurants, meet their friends for coffee, or walk around local parks.
If you’re exclusively searching for a centrally located community, you’ll pay for it. That said, you can’t put a price on the happiness and freedom that being around exciting local amenities provides.
The Role of Senior Living Amenities
When setting up tours with different communities, you’ll undoubtedly have a list of questions and things to observe while you’re there. The most important things to get a sense of during a tour are the accommodations and community-wide amenities.
Touring senior apartments should be straightforward. Find a community that offers a few different floor plans that meet your loved one’s needs. Senior apartments should be comfortable and functional with new appliances, HVAC, and certain safety features.
Community amenities are different. The types of amenities a community has will tell you a lot about how active residents are. Look for well-kept outdoor spaces and amenities that actively promote physical fitness.
Aston Gardens at Sun City Center offers exceptional amenities that residents love. In addition to our well-kept grounds, we’ve got a heated pool, fitness track, fitness center, bocce ball, and even a putting green. No other senior communities prioritize fitness like we do.
Activities, Social Life, and Physical Fitness
The other way to gauge a community’s commitment to health and fitness is their activity programming. Every good senior community will have a daily activity calendar to give residents some excitement each day. What a community includes on its calendar will help determine if your loved one’s health is a priority.
All seniors need at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day. Your loved one might want much more. Communities should offer a wide variety of healthy activities, such as:
- Running/walking clubs
- Aquafit/swimming instruction
- Tai Chi
- Yoga and meditation
- Pilates
- Fitness challenges
- Calisthenics
- Dance classes
Certain activities are also great for promoting socialization. Social isolation is a major issue among American seniors. Our activities promote physical fitness, but they also help facilitate connections between residents to boost mental health as well.
Dining and the Importance of Nutrition
Physical fitness and healthy eating are two sides of the same coin. Nutrition becomes more and more important as we age.
Your loved one will have a fully equipped kitchen in their apartment. When they don’t feel like cooking, however, they’ll have the option of eating with our Sensations dining program.
Our in-house restaurant ensures all residents are eating healthy multiple times per day. When they’re getting the necessary vitamins and nutrients, it’ll fuel your loved one to achieve their fitness goals.
Choose the Best Sun City Retirement Community
Finding senior living in Sun City doesn’t have to be difficult. If your loved one wants an active lifestyle, there’s one Sun City retirement community that stands apart from the rest.
Aston Gardens at Sun City Center gives residents a superior level of care, as well as high-end amenities, and thoughtful activity programming. Your loved one will have every opportunity to stay physically active and eat well each day, so contact us and set up your tour to see the community ASAP.
