BBs Redefine Retirement

We senior citizens have been told for several years now that Baby Boomers will redefine retirement.  They have redefined almost everything else they lived through.  Why not include retirement?  BBs are those folk born after WWII, beginning about 1946 and ending about 1965.

Baby Boomers are the generation that wants to live as fully as possible.  They threw off social constraints that bound their predecessors and happily claimed all that life had to offer. They are doing the same thing as they retire.  And one of the targets they are redefining is housing.  They are choosing a different kind of retirement living.

The lock-step their predecessors are imprisoned in includes one or more of the following:  living at home, being cared for by adult children, assisted living, retirement home/community and nursing home.  Period.  End of discussion. Baby Boomers look around and ask themselves, “Where do I want to live and more importantly, how do I want to live?”  This is what they are looking at.

Niche Communities for Seniors

BBs are looking at living in communities with other people sharing similar interests and social values. AARP writer, Sally Abrahms, wrote this about niche communities:

“Today’s niche communities are already varied. They’re geared to healthy adults but often have an assisted care component. They include places like Rainbow’s End RV Park in Livingston, Texas, which offers assisted living, Alzheimer’s day care, respite for caregivers and short-term care for the sick or frail. The Charter House in Rochester, Minn., provides a home for former Mayo Clinic staffers, among others. The Burbank Senior Arts Colony in Los Angeles attracts retired or aspiring artists, musicians, actors and writers. Aegis Gardens in Fremont, Calif., caters to older Asians.”  (AARP Bulletin, April 1, 2011)

The three million lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender (LGBT) seniors are less likely to have children/family to care for them as they age.  That three million is expected to double by 2030, and LGBT communities are springing up all over the country.

As well, retirement communities are being created near college and university campuses for the huge population of BBs that made the educational system their life-long home.  These communities include independent living, assisted living and nursing home care.  University employees and professors are able to continue to live in the educational environment they know and love.  Continuing cognitive stimulation and personal happiness is a great combination to ensure longevity for these seniors.

Keep looking around for options, Seniors!  You can be sure there will be retirement communities developed for people who share your lifestyle and personal interests.

http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/housing/