Moving into a Retirement Home – Benefits, Challenges, and Tips for a Smooth Transition

Moving after retirement is a common choice for many people – no longer constrained by work and family responsibilities, retirees have the freedom to choose where to live and many decide to move someplace new (a place they’ve always dreamed about or just a new city, state, or county that has new opportunities to offer), someplace nostalgic (their hometown or a place they have happy memories from), someplace warm (a southern state or a place with a year-round mild climate), someplace cheap (a smaller home or an area with a lower cost of living), someplace close to their loved ones, etc. There are many seniors who choose to move to a retirement home, too.

Retirement homes are ideal for people who prefer a low-maintenance lifestyle – or need support with some daily activities – but wish to remain active and socially engaged. Residents live in private rooms but have numerous opportunities to socialize and enjoy various recreational and entertainment activities together. Meals are typically served in a central dining area and all kinds of services, such as housekeeping, transportation, and personal care, are available upon request. Best of all, retirement home residents have immediate access to professional medical care any time of the day and night.

Retirement communities provide seniors with a safe and comfortable living environment and give them everything they need to live a happy, enjoyable, and care-free lifestyle.

Moving into a retirement home, however, can cause great frustration and anxiety – leaving one’s home and comfort zone can be extremely upsetting and downright scary and can lead to feelings of loss, uncertainty, and grief.

Besides, the transition to living in a retirement community is not easy at all.

Here is everything you need to know in order to decide if moving to a retirement home is right for you and to ensure a smooth and successful transition should you choose to make the big step.

Pros and cons of moving into a retirement home

The first thing to do if you’re considering moving into a retirement home is to find out the advantages and disadvantages of living in a retirement community.

Benefits of moving to a retirement community

Senior retirement communities are the safest and most fulfilling places for older adults to live. They offer consistent healthcare support, a low-maintenance lifestyle, a safe, pleasant, and peaceful living atmosphere, numerous social activities, and the freedom to spend time as one wishes.

Moving to a retirement community can help you pursue your hobbies and interests, develop new social relationships, and maximize the joy of your golden years:

Day-to-day chores are handled for you

The daily and seasonal maintenance and upkeep of a home take a lot of time and energy. As time goes by, you may find it more and more difficult to take care of it all – laundry, cleaning, lawn mowing, snow shoveling, fixing up home issues… Even grocery shopping and cooking can feel too exhausting to do.

When you move into a retirement home, you won’t need to deal with any of it – everything, from meal preparation and housekeeping to repairs and security, will be handled for you by the on-site maintenance staff. You can leave all daily chores to them and spend your time as you wish.

You will have healthy, nutritious, delicious meals without going to the trouble of cooking, you will live in a safe, clean, and fresh environment without having to lift a finger to keep it up, and you won’t need to rely on adult children or other family members for anything.

Various entertainment and recreational options on site

Most retirement homes have a wide variety of features and amenities designed to enrich the lives of their residents – swimming pools, spas, fitness centers, movie rooms, art studios, game rooms, and much more. Some more upscale communities even offer tennis courts and putting greens.

Therefore, when living in a retirement facility it will be really easy to find something fun to do every day of the week – you can take a walk in the garden, play chess, poker, billiards, or darts with your friends, watch a movie, have a massage, relax in a jacuzzi, exercise in the gym, etc. And you won’t have to get out in a storm or drive for miles to get to your favorite activities – it’s all available on site. You can practice your hobbies and pursue your interests in safety and comfort.

With all the available services (on-site dining, laundry, etc.), amenities (spas, swimming pools, etc.), and entertainment opportunities (movies, games, clubs, etc.), the atmosphere in a retirement community is really resort-like.

Numerous opportunities for social activities

One of the biggest advantages of moving to a retirement community is the opportunity to socialize and build new relationships.

Living in a retirement home means living in a friendly, like-minded community – you will be surrounded by affable peers who want the same thing you do (to make the most of their retirement years) and face similar challenges as you do. You will have a lot in common and many of these people will have interests similar to yours – so, it will be easy to strike conversations, find partners for whatever activities you want to engage in, and eventually make new friends. And your new friends will also be your neighbors, so it will be very convenient and very easy to meet and have fun together.

To make things even better, retirement living communities create a lot of opportunities for socializing – museum, opera, and concert visits, hikes and outings, planned trips and excursions, various organized group activities, hobby clubs, art studios, TV lounges, coffee meetups, happy hours, etc.

One thing is certain – seniors are much more likely to have an engaging social life when living in a retirement community than when living in their own homes. And having a supportive network of friends doesn’t just feel good, it’s crucial for one’s emotional and mental well-being.

Safety

Things like climbing stairs and navigating uneven surfaces become more difficult with advanced age – and retirement homes are designed with this in mind. They don’t have steep staircases, narrow hallways, high thresholds, and other elements that could pose safety hazards to older adults or make it difficult for them to move around. On the contrary, senior living homes have various safety features that ensure better accessibility and reduce the risk of slips, trips, and falls – wide halls and doorways that are suitable for wheelchairs and walkers, anti-slip flooring, pull bars, emergency call systems, etc.

Retirement homes are safe and secure, specifically designed to ensure maximum comfort and safety to their residents – and qualified on-site staff is available 24/7 to help with emergencies.

Healthcare

Continuing care retirement communities have qualified medical personnel and offer various health services. Residents usually have access to a medical clinic on-site for primary care, medication management, and prescription refills.

Many retirement homes provide specialized services such as memory care, assisted living, and skilled nursing and rehabilitation services as well.

Having on-site access to healthcare provides convenience and peace of mind – when living in a retirement home, you will have the regular medical care your need, the staff will check on you daily, making sure you’re ok, and help will be immediately available should you need it.

Disadvantages of moving into a retirement home

Despite the numerous benefits of living in a retirement community, there are some considerable drawbacks to moving to a senior living home as well:

• You’ll have to leave your home of many years – you will be sad to leave the place where you’ve spent so much of your life and experienced so much and will miss the comfort and coziness of your family nest;
• You’ll have to leave many of your cherished possessions behind – space will be limited, so you will only be able to take a limited number of personal items with you;
• You may not be able to see your family as often as you used to – or you may even feel abandoned by your family;
• You’ll lose your social circle – you will leave your community behind and it will be more difficult to meet with your friends who don’t live in the retirement facility;
• You’ll have to leave your comfort zone and adjust to a new environment – and it may make you feel upset, anxious, or even scared;
• There will be a transition period (oftentimes – long and difficult) before you can feel at “home” in a retirement home;
• You will be surrounded by seniors and will rarely interact with children and younger people;
• You may feel like living in a retirement home takes away from your freedom and privacy;
• The cost of living in a retirement community can be very high, especially when it comes to high-end facilities. 

If you decide that the pros of moving into a retirement home outweigh the cons, you need to start researching your options and planning for the transition.

Tips for moving into a retirement home

Once you’ve made the decision to move to a retirement facility, you need to find a suitable community and ensure a smooth and successful transition.

Make sure you qualify to live in a retirement community

As can be expected, there are some requirements to move into a retirement home.

Firstly and most importantly, senior retirement communities have a minimum age requirement. This means that in order to qualify for living there, you must be at least a certain age. Most communities have an age requirement of 55+ years, but some places require seniors to be over 60 years of age – or even 65+ years – in order to be allowed to live there.

Needless to say, all retirement homes charge entrance fees and/or monthly fees, so in order to qualify for a retirement facility, you need to be able to pay the associated costs.

Good to know: The costs of living in a retirement community can vary greatly depending on the community type, the care level, the available services and amenities, and the location of the facility. You need to evaluate your finances and decide on a price point you can afford.

Keep in mind though that even if you qualify for a certain retirement home, you may not be able to move into it right away – you may have to get on a waitlist to get into the community of your choice.

Choose the best retirement community for you

Different retirement communities offer different types of services, different amenities, and different living environments. You need to carefully research your options, find out what different senior living facilities have to offer, and get a sense of the atmosphere in each of them, so you can choose a place that will not only meet all your needs and requirements, but will also feel like home:

1. Evaluate your physical and mental health and your need of specialized medical care so you know what type of retirement community to look for – active adult, independent living, assisted living, memory care, nursing home, etc.;
2. Think about where you’d like to spend your golden years (the location of the retirement community you’ll be moving into). Is it important for you to live close to loved ones (your family, your current friends)? Do you prefer a hot climate or a colder climate?
3. Consider your hobbies, interests, and favorite activities so you know what amenities to look for – if you enjoy swimming, for example, you won’t be happy to live in a retirement facility that doesn’t have a swimming pool. On the other hand, there will be no point in paying higher costs for living in a community that has a tennis court if you don’t like playing tennis (or your physical condition does not allow it);
4. Create a list of senior retirement communities that suit your needs and preferences in terms of care level, location, and available services and amenities and fit into your budget. Contact these facilities for more detailed information – ask about living arrangements, security, support programs, recreation activities, meal plans, transportation, rules regarding visits and pets, and everything else that might be important to you;

5. Visit the retirement homes you have shortlisted to get personal impressions: Does the place look peaceful? Is the atmosphere cheerful? Are the premises clean and well kept? Do residents seem at ease? Is the staff friendly? Do things feel rushed, forced, or just “off” in some way? If possible, talk to some of the residents in order to find out what they like and don’t like about the place.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each retirement community you have visited, the environment and the atmosphere in every one of them, what the facility has to offer and what your gut tells you, and pick the senior living community that is best for you.

Once you’ve chosen a retirement home to move to, it’s time to prepare for the actual relocation.

Decide what to do with your belongings

Your first task when preparing to move into a retirement community is to decide which of your items to take along and what to do with the rest of your belongings:

• Ask the retirement facility for a floor plan of the apartment – or measurements of the room – you will be living in. Figure out how much space you’re going to have and find out what will be already available in your new place and whether you can bring your own furnishings;
• Inventory your items and figure out which of them you’re going to need in your new surroundings;
• Set aside all the things you’d like to take with you and figure out whether there will be enough space for all of them;
• Sell or give away unneeded items in good condition that have no sentimental value;
• Throw away damaged items, worn out items, outdated items, and everything else that nobody needs or wants;
• Decide what to do with sentimental items that you can’t take with you. Parting with heirlooms and keepsakes is very difficult, but it will most likely not be possible to bring all your cherished possessions along when moving to a retirement home. Pick out your most treasured belongings and ask family members and close friends to take the rest of your sentimental items.

As hard as it may be to part with an item imbued with sentimental value, remember that discarding an object does not mean discarding the memories or feelings associated with that object.

Related: How to get rid of unneeded items when moving

Hire reliable senior movers

Unless you will be taking just a few boxes of personal items to the retirement home, it’s highly advisable to hire professional movers to help you relocate – the pros will take good care of your belongings, will save you a lot of time and hassle, and will take much of the stress of moving out of the equation.

Besides, senior relocation services are easily available and easily affordable – you just need to do some research, so you can choose the right moving partners for you:

• Ask for recommendations and read moving reviews to get an idea of the best senior moving companies in your area;
• Fill in a moving quote to get in touch with several reputable senior movers and see what they have to offer;
• Research the companies – make sure they’re properly licensed and insured, check their ratings with the BBB, check their complaints’ histories, etc.;
• Ask for in-house estimates – compare the offers (not only the moving costs, but also the included services, special conditions, insurance policies, and any other important details) and choose the movers that best suit your needs and requirements.

Related: How to choose a moving company

Take care of the paperwork

Quite unsurprisingly, there are some important documents to collect and quite a bit of paperwork to deal with when moving into a retirement home:

• Collect your personal documents, financial records, medical records, and legal papers (personal will, living will, power of attorneys, etc.);
• Change your address with the USPS and inform all the people and institutions you have dealing with of your new address;
• Contact your current service providers and schedule utilities to be cancelled the day after you move out of your old home;
• Confirm with the retirement community that all the necessary documents (such as a retirement home contract) have been signed and they have received all the paperwork they need.

Keep all your important documents in a separate folder so they don’t get misplaced during the hectic pre-move period.

Pack your belongings

You will probably not have too many items to pack when moving to a retirement home, but it will still take quite some time – and a lot of care – to get your belongings ready for the relocation:

• Start packing as early as possible, so you’re not pressed for time;
• Wrap breakable items in packing paper and bubble wrap;
• Add plenty of cushioning materials in the packing boxes;
• Do not make boxes heavier than 25-30 lbs.;
• Wrap larger items that don’t fit in boxes in moving blankets;
• Clearly label all boxes and household items;
• Pack an open-first box – put your most essential items in a separate box so you have everything you need at hand when you arrive at the retirement home.

Say your goodbyes (to your old home – and to your friends and your favorite places in town if you’re moving to a new area) and get ready for the next adventure in your life! May you find happiness, serenity, and fulfillment in the retirement community you’ve chosen to call home!