Congratulations! Retirement is here, and you’re considering how to best enjoy this exciting chapter in your life—a time you’ve earned and have been planning for decades. If you’re a Long Islander, you’re fortunate to have a multitude of senior housing options right in your backyard, perfect for discovering activities for seniors in Nassau County including shopping, dining, arts, and more.
The challenge? Making sense of all the different types of senior housing available. From 55+ communities to healthcare-focused options to simply staying put, there are many paths forward for active older adults. Let’s make sense of it all and help you find the perfect fit for your retirement years.
Understanding Your Senior Housing Options
Staying in Your Current Home: The Hidden Costs
You love your house. You’ve made memories there and worked hard to make it special for your family. But you’ve also worked just as hard to maintain it and cover all the routine—and plenty of unexpected—expenses that come with homeownership.
Your house may now be too large for your actual needs, and the constant cleaning, yardwork, and maintenance are becoming a burden. Even with contracted help for landscaping and housecleaning, the investment of time and money may not align with your retirement vision—especially when you’re looking at monthly bills or spending weekends on chores instead of enjoying your well-earned free time.
55+ Communities: Popular but Limited
A 55+ or age-restricted community might be one of the first options that comes to mind, and for good reason. These communities unite individuals and couples similar in age while offering social activities and shared amenities in a maintenance-free environment.
However, the obvious choice of a 55+ community might not be the right long-term choice. Here’s why: 55+ communities typically don’t offer any on-site healthcare. Should your needs change, you’ll face another major move years after settling into retirement—potentially to a completely different type of community.
What many people discover is neighbors who are similarly aged but not necessarily engaged as a community. While the grounds are well-kept, your home remains your responsibility for maintenance, upkeep, and any needed remodeling.
Assisted Living - For When You Need Daily Support
Assisted living communities excel at providing residents just the right amount of daily help, maximizing independence while easing the care burden on adult children. These rental communities assist with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as medication monitoring, personal care, meal preparation, and cleaning, while offering full calendars of social activities.
However, if you’re active, independent, and planning to stay that way, assisted living may not be the right immediate choice. It’s designed for those who require some assistance with everyday tasks, and you may never need this level of support. Additionally, if you require more complex care in the future, you’ll need to move again to a rehabilitation or nursing care facility.
Skilled Nursing - 24/7 Medical Care
Also known as nursing care facilities, these residential options are for individuals who require daily nursing care and typically include short- and long-term rehabilitation services. Nursing staff is available 24/7, with physicians either on staff or on-call for medical needs. This level of care is specialized and medically-focused, designed for those with significant health needs.
A Special Guide for Adult Children
If you’re part of the “Sandwich Generation”—juggling careers, raising children, and caring for older family members—you may be reading this to help your aging parents navigate their housing decisions. This balancing act is challenging, especially when your parents’ lives are intertwined with your own (like the active grandparent who tutors grandchildren or attends soccer games).
As an adult child, understanding senior housing options is essential for helping your parents make informed decisions. The key is having conversations before a crisis develops. Planning proactively allows your parents to choose based on their preferences rather than responding to emergency situations.
Questions to Explore Together
- What aspects of their current home no longer fit their lifestyle?
- How important is it to maintain independence while having access to future care?
- What level of social engagement and community connection do they desire?
- How do they want to handle the financial aspects of aging and potential healthcare needs?
Making the Right Choice: Key Considerations
When evaluating senior living options, consider these important factors:
- Community and Connection: Do residents have meaningful relationships with both their peers and campus staff? Is there genuine community engagement, or just proximity to similarly-aged neighbors?
- Technology and Modern Amenities: What level of technology is available on campus to support modern living and communication with family?
- Diverse Programming: Does the community offer programming that provides for a wide range of interests and keeps residents actively engaged?
- Health and Wellness Support: Do the amenities support a healthy and engaged lifestyle? Are there fitness facilities, wellness programs, and opportunities for active living?
- Future Security: Does the community offer a safety net with multiple levels of care should health needs change? Will you need to move again if your needs evolve?
- Financial Planning: Is your long-term financial well-being considered? Remember, there’s a significant difference between paying for care as needed versus having access to care as part of your community.
Why Life Plan Communities Stand Out
This is where Life Plan Communities, also known as Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), offer a compelling solution. These independent living communities for those 62 and older provide the best of all worlds, combining the social aspects of 55+ communities with the security of on-site healthcare—all while focusing on health, engagement, and well-being.
The Life Plan Community Advantage
- True Aging in Place: Unlike other options, a Life Plan Community could be the last move you make. Multiple levels of care are available on one campus, from independent living through skilled nursing care.
- Financial Predictability: A one-time entrance fee (with various refundable contract options) plus monthly service fees provide defined expenses for your entire stay, regardless of your level of care needed. This offers significant savings compared to paying for healthcare services separately.
- Maintenance-Free Luxury: Enjoy luxurious apartments with contemporary finishes and intelligent designs, beautiful grounds, and comprehensive amenities—all without the burden of home maintenance, taxes, or unexpected repair costs.
- Engaging Community: Life-enhancing social and wellness programs based on residents’ interests create an environment that fosters wellness and active lifestyle, ensuring you never feel alone.
- No Real Estate Hassles: The process isn’t a real estate transaction—no home purchase required, and no apartment to sell if you decide to move.
The Fountaingate Gardens Difference
Fountaingate Gardens represents Long Island’s newest Life Plan Community, offering all the advantages outlined above with some unique distinctions:
- Gurwin Quality Care: Should healthcare become necessary, residents have access to the trusted Gurwin standard of care, known throughout Long Island for excellence in senior services.
- Customized Living: Create your ideal senior home with contemporary finishes and intelligently designed layouts that reflect your personal style and needs.
- Flexible Investment Options: CCRC entrance fee options provide flexibility to match your financial planning preferences.
- Long Island Lifestyle: Maintain your connection to the community you know and love while enjoying resort-style amenities in a fully operational community where residents are already creating lasting friendships and enjoying the “Fountaingate Feeling.”
Ready to Explore Your Options?
Changing times call for a change in how we view optimal retirement living. Whether you’re planning for yourself or helping aging parents, the right senior housing choice offers safety, comfort, community connection, and peace of mind about the future.
If your current lifestyle no longer fits your needs, today might be the day to make the leap to the best of your life.
We look forward to introducing you to all the possibilities that Fountaingate Gardens can offer for independent living on Long Island. Your retirement should be the best chapter of your life—let’s make sure your housing choice supports that vision.
