Some think of retirement accommodations only in terms of assisted living facilities. In fact, many reach retirement age without requiring this level of care. For these healthier, more active seniors, new retirement communities are the answer. These senior communities have the benefit of space, privacy, and freedom, as well as some special amenities designed to make retired life as rewarding as possible.
New retirement communities often take the form of age-restricted housing projects, which are typically gated for further privacy. These communities require an age minimum, typically older than 50 years. This ensures that most or all of the residents are seniors, which is attractive for retirees who don’t want to risk moving into a neighborhood that is too loud or disruptive. Many age-restricted communities also offer features specifically geared toward seniors, such as pools, hot tubs, craft rooms, and special workout facilities.
However, some of these new retirement communities have been criticized for their restrictive age policies. Many see the rule as discriminatory and exclusive, which they consider to be unfair and even unconstitutional. For example, the vast majority of jobs prohibit discrimination on the basis of age; that is, if a person is “too old” this cannot be a reason to not get the job, all other factors being equal. The argument is that being “too young” to live in a certain community is the same type of discrimination. The age minimum can also become problematic for the increasing number of grandparents raising grandkids, as most of these communities only allow children to live there temporarily.
On the other hand, this can be a benefit to seniors who have a need for a quiet environment. Generally speaking, a community of retirees will be more peaceful than those which allow all ages. Some retirement communities aim to bridge the gap between a simple place to live and assisted living facility. These places may offer available medical services, but allow for mostly autonomous living, so that residents may keep their dignity.
Although the most popular retirement towns used to be restricted to year-round sunny locales such as Florida and Arizona, new retirement communities are being created in and around major cities all over the United States. The reason for this could be that many seniors are choosing to live in these age-specific areas despite not actually being retired. Because times are tougher financially and interest rates on savings accounts are at an all-time low, the retirement age has been climbing in recent years as fewer people are willing or able to give up their source of income. This means that fewer seniors want to move away from the cities where they work—even if that means weathering colder winters.
SOURCES AND LINKS:
New Retirement Communities, http://www.storyaboutlife.com/blog/new-retirement-communities.html
Grandparents Raising Grandkids, http://www.storyaboutlife.com/blog/grandparents-raising-grandkids.html Age-Restricted Community, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age-restricted_community