Whether retirement is still years away or already part of your lifestyle, adults ages 55 and older can benefit from thinking about what comes next. After your career has ended and your children are living on their own, you’re free to make changes to your life, if you choose.
Gregory M. Stevens, President of Vantage Point Retirement Living, headquartered in Exton Pennsylvania, says, “The three major decisions that seniors and retirees make involve how to spend their retirement, whether to relocate and how to rightsize their living space. All of these are major factors that can influence the rest of their lives, so it helps to think about these possibilities well in advance. When seniors wait until an illness or financial crisis forces their hand, they may not have the capability to choose the best options.”
If you’re ready to plan the next chapter of your life, start thinking about what your ideal retirement looks like. There’s a lot to consider, from housing options to health care, but with the proper planning, you can make your dreams a reality.
Retirement: What Will Yours Be?
Retirement is considered by many to be a life phase marked by freedom and enjoyment. It’s a time when you can change your priorities from taking care of someone else to caring for yourself. Without needing to show up at a job every day, you’re free to experience life as you want to, doing the activities you love and pursuing your favorite hobbies and pastimes. However, without thinking about your intentions for retirement, it can be easy to slip into a routine of laziness or solitude.
Any good result takes planning and careful intentions. So, what are your hopes and plans? Do you want to focus on humanitarian work? Be involved in your grandkids’ lives? Dive into a hobby full-time? Start a small business? However you imagine this period of your life, you’ll need to consider what needs to happen in order to realize your ideas.
We could simply ride down the river of our post-career life and see what happens, or we could be intentional about this new phase of our lives. If you have plans for how you’d like to spend your retirement years, start working now to make sure they happen.
Relocating: Where Do You Want to Be?
For many seniors, this time in their lives is ideal to relocate to a new home or different area. Some may want to move closer to family or lifelong friends. Others may want to move to a location they’ve always dreamed of living in, like the ocean or mountains. Maybe relocating is the last thing you want to do! Whatever your circumstances, it helps to consider the pros and cons of relocating at this point in your life.
It’s worth considering some of the advantages involved in relocating. Many seniors who move during retirement experience greater psychological well-being compared to those who stay put. Making a major change can be exciting, giving you a fresh start. You can experience more opportunities in a new place with new entertainment options or people to socialize with. Relocating can also improve your financial outlook or get you closer to better health care options.
Some disadvantages of relocating include the moving costs and possible anxiety that comes with the transition. If you’re leaving a place where you’ve spent most of your life, it can be hard to deal with the loss of familiarity and community you’ve grown accustomed to. Starting out in a new place can be wearisome to find new doctors, hairdressers or places of worship. Make sure the reasons you choose to move outweigh the disadvantages of leaving a familiar area.
Rightsizing: What Space Fits Your Lifestyle?
The final R on our list, rightsizing, is important for all seniors to consider. Now that your life is different, does the space you’re living in fit your current lifestyle? Many retirees find that their family home is too big for just one or two people. Others may wish to release the burdens of homeownership, with upkeep costs and taxes, and move to a retirement community or rent a home.
Rightsizing to a different home can offer retirees more financial freedom, as well as more free time. Renting is often cheaper than the costs of owning a home, and with less space to manage, you can spend more time doing what you love. Especially for those who choose to live in a senior living community, they have even more free time if home maintenance is taken care of for them.
Getting Started on Your Future Plans
“The beautiful thing about retirement is that we can make it what we want,” says Stevens. “From what you do with your time to where you reside, it’s ultimately up to you!”
If you would like to talk to someone about planning your perfect retirement, the team at Vantage Point Retirement Living would be happy to discuss options with you. Call us today to learn about our senior living communities or find answers to your questions. We’re here to help.
Experience That Matters.
With headquarters in Exton, Pennsylvania, Vantage Point Retirement Living is a senior living development and management company that has been ensuring area seniors enjoy vibrant, carefree and healthy lifestyles since 1995.
The company is widely recognized for its hands-on, personal involvement within its associated communities, as well as for offering amenities and services that allow seniors to lead stimulating, active lives.
Vantage Point Retirement Living is a family-owned and -operated organization born out of a passion and enthusiasm for seniors. While Vantage Point Retirement Living may be considered a family business, its leadership team has decades of industry experience behind them – bringing together the best of both worlds to provide area seniors with the most extraordinary retirement living experience.
Extraordinary Lifestyles.
Whatever your interests and needs may be, exceptional living is just the beginning at a Vantage Point Retirement Living community. Whether it be Active Adult Living, Independent Living, Assisted Living or The Compass Memory Care™, living at a Vantage Point Retirement community empowers you to take control of your life while embracing your future with confidence and peace of mind.
We currently own three gorgeous communities in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, with four more under development and set to open in 2020.
Values You Can Trust.
In an industry increasingly dominated by large, national corporations, Vantage Point provides a trustworthy, local and family-oriented alternative for people seeking a community they can proudly call home – for themselves or a loved one. Our core values of trust, teamwork, family, friendship, individuality, dignity, respect and compassion enable us to create best-in-class communities designed to enhance the health, well-being and overall quality of life for seniors and their families.
To learn more about Vantage Point Retirement Living and the extraordinary lifestyles we provide, contact us today!
