I'm just curious. I'm exploring my options for relocation, and a retirement community is one of them. I don't have any specific location in mind, just exploring ideas.
My initial pro/con list, based on my limited knowledge would be...
Pros:
- A settled community of retired older adults, people I'd probably have more in common with than working families or college students.
I already have that. That said, I am kind of an introvert and don't really socialize with my neighbors at all. I do appreciate that they keep up their homes and don't throw wild parties too often.
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- Activity programs that can help to build social ties -- hopefully something more than yoga, bridge, and Wii bowling.
That would be nice! I need to get back to the gym.
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- Maybe they would have some sort of healthcare provisions, given that they're serving an older population. I don't need that yet, but I may someday.
My doctors, labs, and the best hospital in the region are only 2 miles away and I have great insurance, so I probably won't need that. Maybe some day I will have to quit driving and take a cab for those 2 miles.
Cons:
- I'm 59, so I don't feel quite ready for something like that. I suspect that most people in a retirement community would be 65+, older than me.
You can always check out any community you are interested in, go there and find out for yourself whether the residents are as young and active as you might like.
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- The variety of social interaction gets restricted when you're only dealing with people of a certain age. There might also be an echo chamber effect.
True. But then it's hard to communicate when you don't have much in common. For example when your main concerns are dealing with arthritis and similar physical effects of aging, and your neighbors' main concerns are the parent-teacher organization at their kids' school, you may long for that echo chamber.
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- What about the mental effect of being surrounded by aging people, some of whom have serious health problems? Would it just reinforce a sense of myself as old and on the decline? I don't know, but it's a concern.
Believe me, you'll know it when you are getting old. No reinforcement needed! At least for me, my joints give me somewhat of a clue as to where my limitations lie. Or at least they did after a few bad injuries, before I started listening to my body. Personally I like interacting with people who are older than me; their memories of what this city was like way back then, is fascinating. It's like living history. Also many have a certain wisdom that comes with age. Conversing with them doesn't make me feel older; it makes me feel younger, actually, because to them I'm a kid. Hopefully you will find a community where some people are a little younger than you, and others are a little older than you.
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- No doubt there will be a company overseeing the place, and it will have its particular rules and regulations. I'm not a big fan of all that. There will probably be some fees attached as well.
I agree. To me that would be the biggest negative aspect of living in such a community, but YMMV.
Overall, I'm leaning away from it, at least at this point in my life. But still, I thought I'd get people's opinions.