Independent senior living communities (also known as retirement communities, senior living communities or independent retirement communities) are housing designed for seniors 55 and older.
Independent senior living communities commonly provide apartments, but some also offer cottages, condominiums, and single-family homes. Residents include seniors who do not require assistance with daily activities or 24/7 skilled nursing, but may benefit from convenient services, senior-friendly surroundings, and increased social opportunities that independent senior living communities offer.[1] These communities are also popular among snowbird seniors who wish to downsize or travel freely without the burden of managing a home.
Many retirement communities offer dining services, basic housekeeping and laundry services, transportation to appointments and errands, activities, social programs, and access to exercise equipment. Some also offer emergency alert systems, live-in managers, and amenities like pools, spas, clubhouses, and on-site beauty and barber salons. However independent senior living properties do not provide health care or assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as medication, bathing, eating, dressing, toileting and more. Independent senior living differs from continuing care communities, which offer independent living along with multiple other levels of care, such as assisted living and skilled nursing, in one single residence.[2]
Independent senior living residents are permitted to use third-party home health care services to meet additional needs.
The total operational resident capacity for independent senior living communities in the United States in the year ... was 245,000. Holiday Retirement is the largest single provider of independent living with a resident capacity of 25,000 [3] at 240 retirement communities throughout the U.S. and Canada.
- ^ Joe Manning (Dec 21, 1998). "Aging Population's Needs Create Senior Housing Boom". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 11 February 2014.[dead link]
- ^ "Senior Living: How To Make The Right Choice". The Daily Reporter. Aug 6, 2002. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
- ^ "Assisted Living Executive to Senior Living Executive - March/April 2012". Alfapublications.org. 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2013-03-12.