Quality of life is an incredibly important thing, especially as we get older. Living a healthy lifestyle is only one facet: a holistic approach to whole-body wellness is essential for aging well and living well. This is why so many seniors these days are choosing a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) for their golden years. But exactly what is a Continuing Care Retirement Community, and what strategies are used to improve the quality of life for seniors?
“A CCRC is a form of senior living that provides continuing care, allowing residents to age in place gracefully and with the assistance they need no matter how their health needs change,” says Barbara A. Keller, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Peter Becker Community. “This, in turn, allows residents to live the best life possible.”
Barb explains that continuing care offers many ways to improve the quality of life for seniors. “Having all levels of care on one campus is incredibly beneficial for residents because it means they don’t have to move away from a community they’ve come to know as home,” Barb says. “CCRCs also have a number of services and amenities on site that make life less stressful and more carefree, as well as strategies to improve quality of life, which is a wonderful atmosphere for living your best life during your senior years.”
In honor of Self-Improvement Month, here are some of the significant ways that CCRCs help improve quality of life for older adults:
A low-stress lifestyle.
While you can’t eliminate stress from your life entirely, you can reduce a lot of day-to-day stress by living in a CCRC. Because these are communities designed to help older adults continue to live well and do the things they love, they are maintenance-free. That means seniors no longer have to deal with cooking, cleaning, home maintenance and other chores that are no fun or become difficult as the years progress. Reducing stress is essential for having a high quality of life. Stress can cause a slew of health issues, such as hypertension, depression, anxiety and can even increase your chance of developing diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Instant friendships.
Social connection is essential to a high quality of life. Humans are social creatures, and staying connected to people we care about helps boost health, improve mental states and even reduce our risks of developing various diseases. As we age, it’s common for friendships to fade or drop away as people move away or pass on. In a CCRC, though, making and maintaining friends is simple. You’re living in a community filled with people just like you who are ready to make new friendships as well. Plus, your low-stress lifestyle means you have that much more time to connect, bond and enjoy.
A lifestyle focused on wellness.
“Wellness” means taking care of your body, mind and soul in a holistic way, which involves living a lifestyle that’s focused on providing you with the opportunities to live as well as possible. At a CCRC, life is focused on giving older adults the tools they need to age well and stay healthy. A CCRC does this by providing healthy dining options (both formal and casual), an on-site fitness center, a health center, a continuum of care, socialization opportunities, activities and events and so much more. This all comes together to provide a lifestyle that older adults will love.
Safety and peace of mind.
Older adults often have a variety of health issues and are more at risk of falling or having accidents when living alone. If you were to fall during the night and couldn’t reach the phone, how would you get help? Fortunately, at a CCRC, help is never more than a moment away. The community itself has been designed with the needs of seniors in mind, the architecture has also been created to make it safe for older adults: grab bars and wide and easy-to-navigate hallways throughout the community.
A focus on choice.
Many seniors worry about losing their independence or ability to choose the course of their direction. This used to be the case in the past when senior living was a cookie-cutter experience. These days, however, many seniors find they have more independence than ever before, thanks to all the ways CCRCs make it easy to maintain a high quality of life. And residents don’t need to worry about cookie-cutter lifestyles, either. Your days are yours to live as you choose. Want to wake up early and take a walk? You can do that. Prefer to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely morning? That’s fine, too. Your schedule is designed around you, your wants, your goals, your needs and your passions. And that, more than anything, is how you can achieve a high quality of life.
Your Moments Are at the Heart of What We Do
At Peter Becker Community, it’s our mission each day to celebrate your individuality, whether you reside here full-time or are here as a temporary resident of our Health Care Center. As a Continuing Care Retirement Community, we provide an environment that empowers you to remain active and autonomous while ensuring your future needs will be met. As a not-for-profit community, we are focused exclusively on the well-being of our residents.
We offer a full range of services – from Residential Living, to Personal Care, to Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, to compassionate Memory Care in our secure Memory Care neighborhood. Life here is good – it’s enriched by the time, choices, connections and involvement you’ll discover at our Continuing Care Retirement Community.
With our spectrum of activities, amenities, dining options, maintenance-free living and so much more, you’ll discover you spend more time enjoying our lifestyle and less time worrying about the details of life. You’ll find choices to build a secure life, connections that build closeness, involvement in the world at large and time to explore it all.
For more information about the services provided at Peter Becker Community or to schedule a personal visit to our Continuing Care Retirement Community in Montgomery County, please contact us at (215) 720-1087 to begin the conversation.