Most Appealing Features of Senior Living Apartments

By: ROS Team

As people age, some find that living alone or in a traditional home setting is no longer feasible. It may be due to physical limitations, illness, or just lack of energy. Senior living apartments allow older people to enjoy independent living that caters to the special needs of that population.

1- What are Senior Citizen Apartments
2- Features of the Senior Living Apartments
3- Anyone Live in Senior Living Apartments
4- Affordable Housing for Senior Citizens

What are Senior Citizen Apartments?

Senior citizen apartments, which may include condos and townhouses, are specifically designed apartments based on the needs of most senior citizens. They offer attractive amenities like housekeeping and laundry services as well as a fitness center. Some complexes even have an onsite restaurant and a pool.

Features of the Senior Living Apartments

If you are overwhelmed by regular apartment options, consider the following features that often come with a senior friendly apartment:

1. Low Maintenance

Depending on the floor plan, most senior living apartments require lower maintenance than traditional homes, which means cost savings. They are often smaller and lawn and apartment maintenance are included.

2. Privacy and Community

Having a senior friendly apartment means you don’t lose any privacy–you can still maintain the lifestyle you had while living in a traditional single family home. Moving to a senior-friendly apartment also means you’ll be a part of a larger community of like-minded people who can be your neighbors and friends.

3. Independent Lifestyle

Active senior communities are specifically designed for people who can live independently but want to be a part of a community. Therefore, they usually don’t offer onsite health services. However, some still offer community transport to grocery stores, restaurants, and shopping centers. Senior-friendly apartment communities almost always have year-round activities and social events for residents.

Independent Living Facilities May Also Feature the Following Onsite:

Beauty Salons
Barbershops
Pharmacy
Movie Theatre
Library
Fitness Center
Art and Crafts Studio
Walking Paths, Communal Garden, or Courtyard
Pool
Spa

Older people have a higher risk of falling, which could lead to other serious health issues. Retrofitting a house to address potential trip and fall hazards can be expensive. Senior-friendly apartments, however, are designed to minimize the risk of falls. Common areas are furnished with accessibility features that cater to each resident’s different physical ability, and apartments often have walk-in showers and tubs, handrails, wider doorways, well-lit spaces.

Also, most communities have an assistant available to residents 24 hours a day in case of an emergency. Residents also have access to emergency alert devices, which will alert apartment staff when pressed.

Can Anyone Live in Senior Living Apartments?

Senior Apartments are Not Available for All Age Populations. Typically, Senior Friendly Apartments Cater to Two Age Groups:

Those 55 Years and Older: Units in these apartment complexes must have residents age 55+ who occupy at least 80% of the units. Once that threshold is met, the remaining 20% can be rented to anyone.

62 and Older Apartments: All apartments in the complex must be rented to people aged 62 or above.

Affordable Housing for Senior Citizens

Living in senior citizen apartments comes with a cost, especially if you’re looking for additional amenities. If you don’t have enough money, there are other options you can explore. Section 8 offers apartments for senior citizens as do other programs like Section 202, which provides housing for older adults with lower incomes. Section 811 is not specifically for older people, but it offers housing accommodations for people with disabilities. If you don’t think you can afford senior living, see if you qualify for other programs instead.

Conclusion:

Living in a traditional home may not be convenient for all older people. Senior living apartments offer accessible features in most apartment units as well as a sense of community for their residents.