Azalea Park offers independent living in Lakeland, FL, for seniors who want more connection and engagement. Independent living lets seniors maintain autonomy while building new friendships and enjoying a more fulfilling retirement.
In American culture, seniors often feel like the peak of their life is over once they retire. But, according to Psychology Today, Swiss psychiatrist Karl Jung saw things differently. He believed late life was the time when people became who they truly were.
After a lifetime of dealing with insecurities and conflict, he believed seniors could achieve unprecedented personal growth in retirement, allowing for deep and satisfying personal relationships.
Let's look at how retirement communities like Azalea Park can help seniors grow and connect with their peers
Independent living is perfect for seniors who are starting to feel isolated living at home. According to the AARP, seniors tend to favor aging in place, which involves making safety modifications to their current property rather than moving into a senior living community.
However, this approach becomes less viable as retirement goes on. One of the reasons for that is that seniors living at home become increasingly isolated. This isolation occurs for the following reasons:
A senior living community can solve all of these problems. Independent living apartments are quite similar to what a home modified with safety features would look like, but the key difference for lonely seniors is that they're living in a rich community filled with like-minded peers.
Aging in place often seems appealing initially, but senior communities like Azalea Park often welcome new residents who've become depressed and anxious after years of isolation at home. Once they settle in and get involved in the community, their whole outlook changes.
Independent living communities often host beneficial creative classes and workshops for senior engagement.
Creative workshops are one of the most accessible ways of expressing yourself. All you need to get started is a pen and some paper, a sketchbook and pencil, or simple music tools. Or, seniors who feel comfortable with technology could use a notes, drawing, or music app on their smartphone or laptop.
Creative workshops could mean using the imagination to imagine fictional short stories, making simple art, or exploring music in a low-pressure setting. This can stimulate the imagination and help seniors get in touch with their creativity. Instead of creating long projects, seniors could try reflecting on their own life story and expressing it through writing, art, or music.
According to Tracy Chippendale and Jane Bear-Lehman, participants in life review workshops tended to exhibit significantly less depressive symptoms compared to a control group. Seniors can often feel down during retirement, but taking time to create something and reflect on life experiences and achievements can boost mood and self-expression.
It can make seniors feel proud of the challenges they've overcome in life.
These kinds of creative workshops can also be a positive social activity. When seniors activate their memories and share their experiences with others, it can bolster their self-esteem and help them connect with people in their senior communities.
Residents taking part in life story, art, or music workshops are often surprised by how much they have in common with their neighbors, whom they've known for some time.
By thinking about who they were decades ago, seniors can get in touch with the past and use those insights to have a more fulfilling retirement. Remembering these details can also help seniors to organize their thoughts in other areas of life as well.
Independent living is different from assisted living because it's more suited for seniors who can largely get by independently. For seniors with minor mobility issues that sometimes flare up and cause periodic difficulties with the activities of everyday life, independent living is suitable.
The primary goal is preserving the independence that most seniors prefer, but when help is needed, caring and professional staff are standing by to help. For seniors who have more complex health needs or who are in the early to mid stages of cognitive decline, independent living probably isn't suitable, and they'd do better with assisted living.
If you want to attend a senior living event, all you need to do is step out of your front door, take a short walk, and there you are. If you start feeling ill or tired, it's easy to head home.
Independent living communities are also staffed by knowledgeable senior assistants who take the time to learn the stories of the residents and to match them up with community events that suit their taste and personality.
Staff support seniors in addressing things like mobility concerns, ensuring they have help to get to and from events so that they feel confident attending regularly. Compare this with seniors who opted for aging in place, and it's clear how much more connected and social you can be in a senior community like Azalea Park.
As you can see, when you enter a community for older adults offering independent living in Lakeland, FL, it doesn't mean that all the excitement and connection of life is over and done with; it simply means you're moving into the next chapter of your story. Thanks to top-class amenities, engaging events, and a welcoming community, residents at Azalea Park can live a rich and fulfilling life.
There's good news for new residents: our apartments have been newly renovated, so you'll be the first occupant.
Why not come and see our secure independent living community for yourself? We're just minutes away from downtown, and we'd love to see you soon. Contact us and let's set a date.