Wish You Had More Time? Moving into Independent Living Will Save You 60+ Hours per Month

What Can a Move to Senior Living Save You?

A move to a senior living community is a fantastic way to enhance your social life, increase your access to cultural and educational opportunities, and find a feeling of true belonging. But community living is also a great way to save time, money and worry, and free yourself to embrace the best of your retirement years.

Time:

Retirement is the period of life when most people want to focus their time and energy on their families, loved ones, passions and interests. Seniors don’t often think a move to senior living could be one of the best ways to save time, but the maintenance-free lifestyle found in the best communities takes a lot of chores off your plate. So how much time could you actually save? It’ll be different for each senior, but here are some ideas (taken from averages) of the most substantial ways you can save time by living in a senior living community.

Hours spent vacuuming — 4 hours per month [1]
With regular housekeeping included in the monthly fee at a senior living community, you can cross vacuuming and disinfecting off your to-do list permanently. We’ll take care of it.

Hours spent doing laundry — 5 hours per month
Some senior living communities like Sierra Winds offer complimentary flat laundry service. Residents can skip washing their linens and take a lot of the grunt work out of regular laundry.

Hours spent cooking — 14-28 hours per month [2]
While residents still have full kitchens in their senior apartments, they also have access to several dining options, where delicious chef-prepared meals are brought to their table. Special attention is paid to senior nutrition, and the freshest ingredients are used in every dish.

Hours spent cleaning dishes — 4 hours per month
After you’ve enjoyed a delightful meal, the courteous and professional dining team will clear your plates. The hard work is taken care of; you just have to enjoy.

Hours spent doing yardwork — 32 hours per month
Professionally landscaped grounds are yours to explore and savor. The heated pool waits for you to take a dip. Bubbling fountains make a perfect backdrop for an outdoor cocktail or a quiet reading session. And we handle all the upkeep and maintenance.

Money:

Funds spent on home maintenance
There are two rules of thumb to estimate how much a homeowner spends maintaining their house per year.

• 1% of the house’s value
• $1 for every square foot

The actual number will vary by individual and residence, but this significant investment of time and funds is something you don’t have to worry about when you move to a community. Depending on which type of contract you choose, you can still opt to own your home and create equity, but a professional and courteous team will take care of the maintenance for you.

Gym membership
If you have monthly or yearly gym fees, you can opt out of those because the best senior living communities have fully equipped fitness centers, friendly trainers who specialize in senior fitness, and a variety of fun group exercise classes.

Health services
If you select a Life Care contract, your monthly fees will remain predictable over the years, and you will have ensured access to higher levels of senior care if you need it. This way, you avoid the volatility of the health care market, and will likely end up paying well below market rates for quality and trusted care.

Worry:

When you live in a Life Plan Community, you don’t have to worry about where you’ll go if you need higher levels of care. You can remain on the beautiful campus, close to friends and loved ones, while you receive quality senior health care.

If you’d like to save time, money and worry and would like to find out more about the convenience and peace of mind you can find at Sierra Winds, please reach out to us. We’d be happy to discuss contract options, including Life Care, or simply provide more details about our community.

[1] https://nypost.com/2019/08/02/americans-spend-this-many-hours-a-month-doing-manual-labor-at-home/

[2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1085305/time-spent-cooking-weeknight-in-the-us/