Seniors today have more options than ever before. Whether they choose to stay in their homes or make a move to a senior living community, they increasingly have the ability to seek out a living situation that suits their particular needs. Technological innovations also continue to provide options that make their lives more connected to loved ones and overall, much safer.![\"15](\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2016\/07\/15-senior-living-trends1-350x184.jpg\")
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Here are 15 senior living trends that are shaping the way seniors of today will live out their retirement years.<\/p>\n
Aging in Place<\/h2>\n
One of the biggest trends in senior living is the growth in aging in place<\/strong><\/a>. 87% of seniors<\/strong><\/a> say they\u2019d like to stay in their own homes as they age.<\/p>\n That used to be harder to pull off, but a number of new options are putting aging in place within reach for today\u2019s seniors: Combined with the growth in senior divorce<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0a lot of women find themselves single in their senior years. Living alone as you age is often challenging, especially if you live in a house that needs frequent cleaning, lawn care and maintenance \u2013 oh, and all the costs that go with all that. Inspired by the beloved TV show, many senior women have started to turn to the Golden Girls model<\/strong><\/a> and found other senior women to live with as roommates, splitting responsibilities and tasks amongst them all so no one person has to bear the brunt of them.<\/p>\n Those that do decide to stay in their own homes as they age will need to make some changes to make the house senior-friendly. That means taking on some home modifications<\/strong><\/a>, such as adding lighting to various spaces in the house and installing grab bars in the bathroom. Luckily, many contractors know how to assess the needs of a home and help seniors make the necessary changes for ongoing safety and comfort.<\/p>\n Possibly the main factor that makes aging in place possible, in-home care<\/a><\/strong> options have become widely available to help fill in the gaps of care that family members can\u2019t handle on their own. In-home care aids can take on the tasks that assisted living staff typically help with, and home health care aids can go a step further and provide skilled medical care.<\/p>\n A little over a decade ago, many of the residents of the Beacon Hill village of Boston realized that they were starting to get old \u2013 but so were many of their neighbors. Instead of starting to move off into retirement communities elsewhere, they decided to work together to bring the resources they needed to them.<\/p>\n By pooling their resources and helping each other out, they\u2019ve managed to be able to stay in their own homes. Other seniors have taken note. Around the country, a growing number of communities have started to adopt the\u00a0Beacon Hill Model<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to make aging in place more practical.<\/p>\n Many seniors are seeing the benefits that different types of technology<\/a><\/strong> can offer for their needs:<\/p>\n Most cell phones aren\u2019t designed with seniors in mind but\u00a0some savvy technology companies have made cell phones for seniors<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0with bigger fonts, brighter screens and emergency call buttons. These features make it easier for seniors to use cell phones in the ways most useful to them.<\/p>\n Options like Wii Fit and workout videos make it possible to workout without leaving the house. Exercise classes like tai chi and water aerobics specifically help seniors out in the areas they need most, without opening them up to the risk of injury.<\/p>\n Many family members worry about their senior loved ones, especially if they live far away. Home monitoring systems<\/a><\/strong> ensure that seniors are safer in their homes and loved ones can learn quickly if a problem arises. Not only do home monitoring systems make seniors safer, but they also bring their loved ones peace of mind.<\/p>\n Seniors are reportedly the fastest growing group of social media users.<\/strong> When you think about it, there are lots of reasons for seniors to be interested in social media<\/a>.<\/strong> It can be a source of entertainment, as well as a way to stay connected to loved ones from afar.<\/p>\n Wearables are making big changes in how people interact with their health. They allow you to track things like breathing, heart rate and how well you\u2019re sleeping. Many vendors have started to sell\u00a0wearables for seniors<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0that include features like medication reminders or a built-in GPS to help track the location of wandering Alzheimer’s patients.<\/p>\n The senior living industry is working hard to provide the kind of personalized living experiences that seniors crave within their communities:<\/p>\n You may have heard rumors of seniors\u00a0retiring to a cruise ship<\/strong><\/a>. While there are a couple of high profile stories of seniors that did just that, most commercial cruise ships aren\u2019t designed for the needs of seniors. But a few companies are working to build out cruise ships that are designed to be the perfect retirement options for seniors that have a love of the sea. As interest in cruise ship retirement grows, more options are likely to become available.<\/p>\n The rate of seniors with Alzheimer\u2019s continues to grow. The\u00a0Hogeway dementia village<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0provides a space where seniors with Alzheimer\u2019s can live life in a way that feels more normal and familiar to them than life in a facility usually does, while still having trained staff members around at all times who can help out. Other cities around the world have paid attention and aim to build their own dementia villages as well.<\/p>\n For some people, our years in university just don\u2019t last long enough. If you were always frustrated that you didn\u2019t have enough time for learning, you can treat retirement as a chance to go back to college<\/strong><\/a>. A number of educational retirement communities<\/strong><\/a> exist now that give students the opportunity to enroll in college classes and spend their retirement years broadening their knowledge.<\/p>\n Has the environment always been a passion of yours? You\u2019re not alone.\u00a0Green senior living options<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0are popping up to help bring together seniors with a similar passion for eco-conscious living who want to spend their retirement years living in ways that are as environmentally-friendly and responsible as possible.<\/p>\n LGBTQ seniors can live out their retirement years in communities where they can be themselves without judgment. Many LGBTQ-friendly retirement communities<\/strong><\/a> are now available throughout the country.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n1. Golden Girls model.
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n2. Home modifications.
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n3. In-home care.<\/h3>\n
4. Stay-at-home retirement villages.<\/h3>\n
Turning to Technology<\/h2>\n
5. Cell phones.
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n6. Easier exercise.<\/h3>\n
7. Home monitoring systems.<\/h3>\n
8. Social media.<\/h3>\n
9. Wearables.<\/h3>\n
Specialty Retirement Communities<\/h2>\n
10. Cruise ship retirement.<\/h3>\n
11. Dementia villages.<\/h3>\n
12. Educational senior living.<\/h3>\n
13. Green senior living.<\/h3>\n
14. LGBTQ friendly.<\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n15. Pet-friendly.<\/h3>\n