Why Single Seniors Flourish in Independent Living

If you’re a single senior living by yourself, you might sometimes feel like you’re the only one. But the truth is, you’ve got plenty of company: The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University found that 42% of Americans over 65 are living alone.

Whether you’re single by circumstance or by choice, you’ve probably learned to adapt to different situations and thrive as a result. Yet aging as a single person brings with it unique challenges you may not have prepared for.

For example, your support network may be changing, which can negatively affect your emotional health. Your friends and neighbors may be moving away, putting you at risk of social isolation. And many single seniors worry over health, home and finances as they age.

This is why independent living at a retirement community is often such a great option for single seniors. This type of retirement lifestyle provides residents a number of benefits to help them flourish as they age.

Five benefits of independent living for single seniors

You’re truly part of a community. You may own your house now, which is in a small neighborhood or larger subdivision. But think about it: How many neighbors do you really know? How many do you regularly socialize with? And how many are of your generation, with common interests?

Depending on the independent living community, you can own your home — at The Peninsula Regent, you can choose either a one- or two-bedroom senior condo you can customize — which offers you plenty of personal space and privacy. Just outside your condo door, you’ll find numerous opportunities to expand your social connections with other older adults who share similar life experiences and interests.

Meals are suddenly simple. Grocery shopping and meal prep for one person can be difficult. Buying lots of ingredients for a dish that makes lots of leftovers can also be a waste of money and food.

The benefit of choosing an independent living community is that, as a single senior, you have an entire culinary team preparing delicious, healthy dishes just for you. You have multiple dining venues with different menu options to choose from, ensuring remarkable variety with consistent high quality. If you’d like to whip up a favorite recipe on your own, you can always cook in your fully equipped kitchen in your condo.

One other benefit: Dining is an excellent socialization opportunity for seniors, regardless of whether you’re single or a couple. Many residents of an independent living community will tell you they enjoy dining with someone different at every meal, taking advantage of the time to get to know new residents or chatting with long-time friends.

You have far fewer home responsibilities to take up your valuable free time. Home maintenance, housekeeping, grocery shopping, cooking and paying bills all take time and energy, especially when you shoulder all those responsibilities as a single senior.

The benefit of living at an independent living retirement community is that the community takes care of all these things, giving single seniors back that time to join a club, start a group, pursue a new hobby or rekindle an old interest.

You can find both fellowship and companionship. We touched on the importance of socialization for seniors. Staying connected to others around us is vital for our overall health and well-being. Isolation and loneliness in older adults is so common it’s considered a major health risk.

The thought of making new friends, let alone dating again, can be an overwhelming thought for many older adults. But living at a retirement community can be a more natural, comfortable way for single seniors to meet people for platonic and romantic relationships. Single seniors can comfortably meet new people over coffee or dinner, at a fitness class, in an art class in the creative studio, or through introductions made by other residents. The opportunities are often much more plentiful, and the social pressure is much less intimidating.

You always have access to activity and wellness opportunities. Some single seniors may not drive that much anymore. They may not be able to drive to the local fitness center, but they still want to stay physically active, and stay involved with volunteering, attend lifelong learning classes or just visit the library.

Life in an independent living community means freedom to continue doing all these things and then some. You’ll have many ways to bolster your social, intellectual and vocational well-being through off-campus excursions, in-house lectures and resident-led interest groups. You’ll also have access to a fitness center with senior-specific fitness equipment, instructor-led classes, an indoor pool and other amenities.

Discover how you can flourish at The Peninsula Regent

If you’re wondering whether an independent senior living community might be the right fit for you or someone you know, we’d be delighted to host you for a visit to The Peninsula Regent. We’ll show you our senior condos, take you on a personal tour of the community and help you get a clearer picture of our remarkable retirement living experience. To begin, simply contact us today.