Reasons for — and tips on — choosing a retirement community in Florida
A Tale of Two Couples
To give you a personal picture of why retirees move to Florida and choose to live in a senior living community like Highpoint at Stonecrest (one main reason — and benefit — is socializing in retirement), we’ll tell you about two couples who’ve lived in our community about a year and a half.
Bob and Janet Lynn
The Lynns moved to Melbourne, Florida, after Bob retired from the military in 1989. His 33-year career with the U.S. Army and their volunteer work with what is now the Military Officers Association of America took them all over the country and many places abroad.
Janet is quick to note that they’ve moved 34 times, but Florida was always “her go-to place,” according to Bob. She loves the warm weather.
After Melbourne, they lived in a Del Webb community here in Summerfield and in The Villages, which is about 4 miles away from Highpoint. When Janet started developing mobility issues, they wanted to move to a community where she “would be in good hands” if something happened to Bob.
They looked at several assisted living communities in the area while watching our community being built from a distance. After visiting Highpoint, Janet said, “This is the place we want to go.”
Janet especially likes their screened-in balcony overlooking the pool, and they both enjoy the meals in our independent living dining room.
“I cooked every day in our house and brought my cooking stuff when we moved,” Janet said, “because I figured the food would probably be like cafeteria food. Well, guess what? We’re here a year and a half and I haven’t cooked yet!”
Playing bridge is one of Janet’s favorite pastimes, but there wasn’t a bridge group when the Lynns moved here. It didn’t take her long to organize one. These days, she’s playing samba, too. As she has discovered, trying new activities is a great way to socialize and meet new friends.
Bob started singing in the chorus soon after they moved in and enjoys our many music events. He has been “deeply involved” in writing the bylaws for the residents council and is a member of the veterans club. He likes taking Teddy, their poodle-shih tzu who’s “the boss of” them both, out for walks.
Before moving to Highpoint, Bob played golf multiple times a week, so he appreciates being able to play at Stonecrest, a 55+ community adjacent to Highpoint.
Incidentally, Bob and Janet have been married 71 years!
Bill and Mary Ann Bonk
Like the Lynns, the Bonks lived at The Villages before moving to Highpoint. Mary Ann lived there for 35 years. She and her first husband moved to Florida after they retired and chose The Villages because they both enjoyed playing golf.
Bill lived at The Villages for about 15 years. He and his first wife lived in Wisconsin before moving to Florida. He loved playing softball, and she wanted to live in a warmer climate because of her arthritis.
After their spouses passed away, Mary Ann and Bill fell in love and married.
One of the main reasons Mary Ann wanted to move to Highpoint is our heated saltwater pool.
“I’ve been doing pool aerobics for my joints for 25 years,” she said. “They have a beautiful, big pool here. I go out and do my pool aerobics every morning.”
Mary Ann also helps with the ladies’ teas each month.
Like Bob Lynn, Bill enjoys the musical performances at Highpoint.
Making friends in retirement has kept Bill and Mary Ann active — even though their health prevents them from playing golf or baseball. They still see friends at The Villages, often driving their golf cart over for the monthly birthday club get-together in their former community, Tall Trees.
“We were invited to Thanksgiving at Tall Trees, but we wanted to stay at Highpoint because the food is so good here,” said Bill. “The same with Christmas. We’re very happy here.”
Thinking About Choosing a Retirement Community in the Sunshine State?
Whether you’re a Florida native or you’ve never been to the state before, these basic steps on how to find a retirement community can help you get started.
If moving closer to family is a motivating factor, you may already have a good idea of where you want to look at senior living communities. In that case, you can skip steps 1 and 2 below.
- Narrow your search to a certain geographic area. Do you want to live in the northern part of the state, which tends to be cooler and less humid than southern Florida? Would you prefer living on the coast or inland?
- Choose your city or suburb. Some people want to be in a bustling metropolis, while others prefer to live where it’s quieter and calmer. Even though you’re likely to spend most of your time in the retirement community you choose, it’s still smart to consider your priorities for those times when you venture out into the surrounding areas.
Many senior living communities provide scheduled transportation, so ease of driving may not be a concern. However, you’ll want to see what healthcare options are in the vicinity, including hospitals (and specialists if you have health conditions that require them).
If you have a favorite pastime or a certain recreational activity you enjoy, that might be useful in compiling a list of potential cities or even specific neighborhoods within a city. Do you enjoy going to sporting events, museums or the theater? Do you play golf? While senior living communities typically offer a variety of activities for residents, the types of activities can vary substantially from one community to another. (More on that in a bit.) - Make a list of contenders. It’ll be helpful to read the section below on what to look for in a retirement community before moving on to this step. Eventually, you want to end up with a list of potential communities you can visit. Making sure the communities on your list meet at least most of your preliminary criteria before you start going on visits will save you valuable time.
- Visit the communities on your list. There’s no better way to determine how well you may like living in a retirement community than to experience it in person. You might be able to scratch some communities off your list after just a short visit. Conversely, you might want to visit others more than once.
What To Look for in a Retirement Community
At a minimum, these are questions to include on your checklist as you’re researching communities online and in person. You can add others based on your own preferences and needs.
- What kind of care options (assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care, etc.) are available? Choosing a community that offers a full continuum of care can save you from having to move to a different community later on.
- What type of contracts does the community offer? Some communities are strictly rental communities, and others require an entrance fee. Some offer both options.
- What does the monthly fee include? In most cases, basic utilities are included, along with at least two meals per day, security, regularly scheduled activities and classes, housekeeping, landscaping and home maintenance.
- What sort of amenities are on-site? These can range from dining venues and fitness facilities to swimming pools, putting greens and movie theaters.
- If possible, schedule your visit so that you can have a meal while you’re there. It’s a great opportunity to try the food, and to observe and interact with residents and staff.
- When visiting, notice if the residents seem content, active and friendly. Talk with a few. Ask what they like most about the community and what changes they would like to see.
You Could Enjoy 365 Days of Funshine With Us!
We invite you to schedule a visit so you can learn more about Highpoint at Stonecrest and senior living in general. Contact us to set up a time or call (352) 549-9210.
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