Independent Living Community vs. Aging in Place in Newport News
Understanding the Main Differences Between Independent Living vs. Aging in Place
As you age, your main goal is to remain as healthy, happy and independent as possible. You may plan to do all that while aging in place — in other words, while living in the residence you choose. That “residence you choose” may be either your own home, or an independent living cottage or apartment at a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) like The Chesapeake.
So how to decide: independent living or age in place in your own home? Let’s start by explaining what independent living is, and what it looks like at a CCRC (referred to by some communities as a Life Plan Community). Then let’s have a quick side-by-side comparison that explores the main differences between independent living versus aging in place at home.
What is independent living?
Simply put, the benefit of independent living is it allows you the freedom to enjoy your active, maintenance-free lifestyle without the burdens of homeownership. Many independent living communities offer a few different living options, such as cottages and apartments in a range of square footage. They also provide you with a number of activities, events, services and amenities available to you, like dining, wellness and socialization opportunities, without the concerns of housekeeping, cooking or interior and exterior maintenance.
What independent living is at a CCRC
If you opt for independent living at a CCRC, you’re choosing an independent lifestyle now while giving yourself peace of mind for any future care you may need. That’s because, along with independent living, a CCRC typically offers higher levels of care, which may include assisted living, short- and long-term skilled nursing care and memory care. Not all CCRCs offer all these health care services.
We’ll pause here for just a moment to consider whether your home offers you everything that was mentioned above — because where you choose to live can have a significant impact on your overall health and well-being. Of course, it’s completely understandable why you may want to age in place at home:
- You’re comfortable there, and your home and neighborhood are familiar
- You have your routines, privacy and freedom that comes with homeownership
- You can have as many pets as you want
- You have plenty of space in your home to entertain friends and family
- You don’t like the thought of downsizing and getting rid of some of your things
- You enjoy meal preparation and cooking, and you don’t mind housekeeping
- You’re still able to keep up with interior and exterior maintenance
- You’re healthy and don’t anticipate having physical ailments that would require higher levels of care
On top of all this, you’re still very active, both socially and physically. You drive yourself everywhere — to shop, to your appointments, to visit friends. Which begs the question for many older adults, what could a CCRC possibly have to offer?
We’d like to help you learn how to decide which might be the best fit for you. So through this handy chart, let’s compare the main differences between independent living versus aging in place at home.
One quick caveat: Not all CCRCs are the same. They may offer different contract options, such as Type A Life Care or Type C Fee-For-Service contracts. Chesapeake offers these two types of contracts to offer you maximum financial flexibility. Read more to understand the similarities and differences between these two types of contracts. Different CCRCs may also offer differing levels of care; The Chesapeake, for example, offers a full continuum of care for complete peace of mind.
How to decide: Independent living or aging in place
This may seem like quite a bit when you’re stacking up the differences, but it’s just a partial comparison chart. To get a true comparison of independent living versus aging in place in your own home, schedule a visit at The Chesapeake’s all-inclusive independent living community. When you come for your personal visit, you can take a tour of the community, talk with residents and ask questions of the knowledgeable senior living counselors.
If you like, you can arrange to talk with the chef and culinary staff, or perhaps visit with the activities director or a member of the fitness staff. Those conversations may help you see the true value of living at a CCRC — and give you an idea of all the benefits that your home may not be able to provide you.
It’s remarkably easy to get started: Simply contact us when you’re ready to begin the conversation. Also, if you complete and submit our quick form, we’ll send you a community brochure full of helpful information.