Getting More Out Of Your Senior Community

Blog

So you've just moved out of your home into a large senior community. Without a larger home to take care of, you have more time on your hands. This is your opportunity to really enjoy your retirement years, not just get by. Here are some tips to finding your niche in the community and create a fulfilling retirement lifestyle.

Get Involved in the Association

If the senior apartments complex you moved to has a neighborhood association, start attending the meetings. Listen to the concerns that the other residents have and the solutions to problems they discuss. You'll get to know the people in the community better and understand how everyone is trying to make this their ideal living environment.

Try Out Activities New to You

When there are scheduled activities in the community, sign up or drop by, even on events completely foreign to you. If you don't dance, register for the dance workshop. Never cooked a thing in your life? Sign up for a "Bake Your Breakfast Favorites" class. You'll have some interesting experiences while seeing how people work with someone new to the topic.

Ask Other Residents for Advice

A good way to get to know people, even if you're the shy type, is to ask someone for advice. It's a way to get people to open up even to a total stranger. Consider this an icebreaker for starting a conversation with people you'd like to meet, or neighbors that you want to get to know. A simple request for advice often expands into a much broader conversation. For example:

• Asking how to get to the local YMCA gym may begin a conversation on how much you and the other person enjoy physical fitness.
• Asking about ways to filter out the evening noise so you can sleep better can start a discussion about how the neighborhood has changed over the years.
• Asking for information about local farmers markets can lead into a conversation on favorite recipes using fresh vegetables.

Offer Your Services to the Community

Chances are, you have one or more skills that the senior community can use. A good way to create a niche for yourself in the neighborhood is to make those skills available to others. Your career or hobbies is the basis for you becoming an important part of the community. For example:

• If you were an accountant, offer to help people with their taxes or managing their retirement portfolio.
• If you were an attorney, offer to give talks on managing wills and estate planning.
• If you were a chef, offer classes on healthy eating to combat osteoporosis.

Becoming active in the community opens up more possibilities to enjoy your retirement. Where no activities exist around something for which you are passionate, start up your own group. You may discover a number of people who share your favorite interests. If you're looking for some senior apartments in your area, visit The Courtyards at River Park.

Share

22 April 2015