Home Sweet Retirement Home: Finding Comfort in a Retirement Community

There are many ways to fill in the blank: Home is…

“Home is…where love resides.”

“Home is…not a place, it’s a feeling.”

“Home is…where the heart is.”

It’s no surprise that people have strong connections to the physical aspects of home. It is a place where they raised families, maybe built themselves and experienced many positive and challenging life events within those walls. According to the latest AARP Home and Community Preferences survey, seniors are wanting to remain in their homes as long as possible, but also feel like a move into a retirement community Is inevitable.

So let’s flip the script and reframe the definition of home for a retirement community.

Home is… a place for meaningful friendships. Where care and support are available when needed; where there are opportunities to participate in fun, purposeful activities and continue exploring passions. A place where families can gather together for delicious meals prepared by talented professionals. Home is…where you are meant to be.

While that may sound cliché, it is the truth. A retirement community is a place that offers familiarity and sense of belonging. Where residents and their families to feel comfortable and proud of where they live and confident that they made the right decision to move into senior living. When evaluating community options, consider treating the retirement home search, just like you evaluated the homes and neighborhoods you grew up in or raised your family.

Exploring the neighborhood

From the moment you walk through the doors of our retirement community, you’ll quickly be greeted with smiles and a friendly hello from our co-workers and see the cozy common areas that resemble living rooms that are full with residents visiting with each other, completing puzzles and doing activities. Getting acquainted with the different levels of care offered in our buildings can also bring peace of mind knowing that if health needs change, care can be provided. Understanding all that the neighborhood has to offer also includes its proximity to doctors’ offices, churches, shopping centers, parks and other off campus experiences. Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, our community is close to the city amenities while also having beautiful walking paths and garden spaces that look and feel like a traditional backyard.

Meeting the neighbors

The heart of our community is our people-the residents who call Ecumenical home and the co-workers who genuinely get to know our residents as individuals. Here, neighbors become friends who check in and encourage each other. Whether it is attending fitness classes, bonding over the current book club read, volunteering together or raising a glass during happy hour, there are opportunities to build meaningful connections with neighbors.

When considering a move to retirement living, get to know the community first. May of the events and activities are open to the public and give you or your loved one a chance to meet the neighbors. For example, Lynn and Ann Heilman recently moved in. They knew another resident, Elaine, from a gym they all attended. When the Heilman’s decided it was time for them to make the move they realized they had a familiar neighbor in Elaine and reconnected their friendship. Elaine has loved welcoming old friends and making new ones while living at Ecumenical. She is a resident ambassador to welcome new residents and has developed a close group of friends who affectionately refer to themselves as The Fab Four!

Don’t forget about the furry, feathered and finned neighbors! The pet-friendly aspect of the community also makes our residents feel at home when they see pups walking on the paths and kittens receiving some special love from co-workers.

Feeling safe

Maintaining a house and yard, purchasing groceries and staying on top of cleaning can be daunting for seniors. While our local advisors work with prospective residents and their families, they often remind them that what they are trying to manage and sustain in their own home can all be alleviated in a retirement community. Services like housekeeping, transportation, dining, medication distribution and so much more are expertly handled by co-workers so residents can focus on what matters most to them.

“Living in a retirement community does not mean loss of independence-far from it,” describes local advisor Treva Nell. “It’s about gaining freedom from everyday worries. I have seen residents thrive beyond what they or their families could have imagined because the weight of the challenges they once experienced has been lifted by caring and compassionate co-workers. Here, they can focus on their own health and happiness.”

Seeing you (and your family) here

Getting the feel for the community through a tour is a helpful step in seeing you and your family enjoying all the retirement community has to offer. Picturing your favorite recliner in the living room to seeing your grandchildren’s refrigerator art on the fridge, family photos hung on the walls and house plants thriving in the apartment, personalized touches can be made to the apartment spaces that will bring in the comforts of your previous home. Families are always welcome on our campus, and we encourage children, grandchildren and friends visit or even gather together for celebratory meals in a private dining room.

Be part of retirement community living

We invite you to see for yourself what “Home Sweet Home” can feel like in our community. If you are considering retirement living for you or your loved one, please reach out to our local advisors for support with your retirement home search. We know that all retirement communities are not created equal, and we look forward to helping you find the best fit for your family, because, after all-like the other famous “home” phrase goes: “There’s no place like home.”