Knowing the Right Time to Move into a Senior Living Community

Senior living communities today offer a completely different experience than they did in your parents’ time. With careful research and planning, many people find their quality of life becomes markedly better and they experience greater joy and freedom after making the move to a senior community. Residents at Cristwood in Shoreline or Crista Shores in Silverdale often say they’re so happy they made the move!

Knowing the Right Time to Move into a Senior Living Community

When is the right time to move to a Senior Living Community? After 30 years of helping seniors transition from their private homes to senior living communities, social worker Julie Chalk says making the move earlier than you anticipate needing it is better than waiting too long.

“You have to be courageous,” Chalk said. “No one wants to look at their own aging. But when you plan ahead, you have more choices and more control. If you wait for a medical emergency and you can’t go home after a hospital stay, you’ll be stuck wherever there is room. Do some research with your family and visit places so you can choose.”

Important Questions to Ask Yourself

Take an honest look at your life and ask yourself these questions. Your answers will help you decide on the right time to move into a senior community:

Are you happy with your living situation? If you love living alone and want to remain in your home, great! But if you’re lonely and feel isolated, a community like CRISTA Senior Living can reinvigorate you for many more years of joy and purpose!

Are you independent and able to care for your needs? Do you drive? Can you get to the grocery store, attend church, see family when you want to, and go out to lunch with friends? If not, moving into a community of seniors will provide you with friends a few steps from your home, give transportation for doctor visits and shopping, fill your days with social events and activities, and serve you dinner every night!

Is your home still a blessing or has it become a burden? You may have raised your children in your home, and it may hold dear memories … but perhaps it’s time to let go and move into a place that better serves you rather than making you a slave. If your house feels too big, and if cleaning and maintenance, mowing the lawn and weeding, are overwhelming and exhausting, it’s time to move into a community where all of that is done for you and you can spend your time doing what is fun and life-giving.

Are you self-sufficient with bathing, taking medications, paying your bills, and cooking? If you want a bit more help with these, a senior living community like CRISTA Senior Living can ease the stress of keeping up with daily tasks and free you from worrying about them.

How active are you? Are you healthy and strong? Do you ever fall or feel dizzy? As we age, these things become more common and it’s reassuring to live in a place where help is right there when you need it. At Cristwood in Shoreline and Crista Shores in Silverdale, we have 24/7 medical care available and, perhaps even more important, residents are proactive about their health and able to attend exercise classes, consult with a personal trainer, swim, and take walks on our beautiful campuses.

Are your days fulfilling to you? Are you learning new things, engaged in peer groups, stimulating your mind with good books, and enjoying life? If you find yourself watching television all day, lacking motivation to do anything, or feeling depressed, moving into a community like CRISTA Senior Living will put the pep back in your step and give you something to get out of bed for every day! Our residents lead small groups that study topics of interest, critique each other’s writing, make beautiful art in a designated art studio, craft woodworking projects, exercise together, make cards for local hospitals, and act as lay chaplains for each other. They even have a choir that performs several times a year.

We’d love to show you around our beautiful communities and help you decide on where you want to live in your next season of life. To find out more about CRISTA Senior Living and visit us for a tour, call (206) 889-5505 or go to Christian Senior Living Communitites | CRISTA Senior Living.