Fulfillment

Active living communities are being built in college towns, near or affiliated with university campuses. They offer life-long learning to residents as well as the opportunity for residents to share their career expertise with students. Ho-hum clubs are being replaced with performing arts, including drama groups, dance troupes and musical ensembles. Visual arts are offered, including ceramics, painting and photography. In some communities residents enjoy gardening, growing their own farm-to-table cuisine, and participating in cooking classes. Exciting travel, including culinary trips and eco-excursions, is made available both domestically and abroad.  

 

State-of-the-Art Technology

While some communities continue to offer computers available for resident use and a cyber cafe, other communities are installing fiber optic technology, ensuring that the entire campus receives high-speed wireless signal. Classes are being offered in advanced computer applications, photo editing and movie creation. College courses and other digitally delivered educational opportunities are available to support life-long learning. Ultra high-speed internet delivers the latest in digital health monitoring, diagnostics and services regardless of geographic location. 

 

Pet Friendly

Studies have shown that pets bring physical and emotional benefits to humans—and those of us with a beloved pet know this first hand. As family members, many of us refuse to move without our pets. Increasingly, senior living communities are pet-friendly. Although some remain "dog-tolerant," permitting only smaller dogs or visiting therapy dogs, others permit four-legged family members regardless of size. Some communities cater to dog owners by offering on-site dog parks, lakes, and pools, as well as pet-sitting/walking, day-care, and other services. Innovative communities offer a host of other animals for residents to enjoy: at these properties, you may find llamas, horses, and even a young kangaroo.

 

Volunteering

Boomers are engaging in volunteer activities in the community, whether fundraising, performing, educating, cooking for the less fortunate or baking biscuits for the local animal shelter.

 

Physical Well-being

As our population demands the availability of locally sourced foods, supports humane production methods, and favors farm-to-table cuisine, active living communities are increasingly following these same practices. Physical activity is no longer limited to a fitness room with a few machines, but might include a health club complete with personal trainers, Pilate’s classes and Yoga instruction. Some communities offer hiking, biking, fishing and boating.

 

Aging in Place

Aging in Place is important to boomers. Active living communities facilitate Aging in Place in different ways. Some communities do not separate residents in Independent Living from those needing Assisted Living care. Instead, the staff brings the assistance to the resident in their apartment. Other communities maintain their own home health or home care agencies on-site, bringing to the resident either health care assistance or home services, including shopping, errands or concierge services such as booking travel arrangements. CCRCs (Continuing Care Retirement Communities, or Life Plan Communities) offer the ability to Age in Place by having multiple levels of active living and assistance on the same campus, or nearby. CCRCs may offer the ability to bring assistance to the apartment, thereby remaining in the same apartment, or may require that the resident move to a different portion of the campus as needs increase.

 

Resident-centered Care

Resident-centered care or person-centered care has taken hold in assisted living and skilled nursing in recent years. The concept is focused on the individual, creating a home-like environment and respecting an individual’s freedom to make their own choices. Moving from traditional provider-directed care to a more person-centered care approach, residents are able to make the decisions they normally would in their own household. Flexibility in dining, bathing, and the creation of neighborhood living are but a few examples of this cultural change.

 

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