Choosing the Right Apartment

When touring senior living communities to check out their facilities and services, you will most likely be taking a look at their different apartment options too. This can be a great time to start thinking about which items are must-haves on your wishlist and which others you could quite happily live without.

Size Can Be Deceiving

When downsizing from a family home or apartment, you may find it hard to imagine yourself in a significantly smaller setting at first. The thing to keep in mind is that many retirement living communities pride themselves on their shared facilities and do a fantastic job at creating inviting spaces where you can socialize and spend your days doing the things you love. With that being said, you will most likely find yourself spending more time in these types of communal spaces than in your own apartment. It’s therefore important to remember that the apartments or homes you view during your tour may feel somewhat small at this point in time, but you will be surprised at how little space you actually need within your own private walls if you plan on embracing a range of services offered at your chosen senior living community.

Location Within The Community

If a community has checked certain boxes on your wishlist, you may also want to think about the location of your preferred apartment within the community grounds. If you are an avid swimmer and you have chosen a community for its indoor swimming pool so you can stay active in the water all year round, then you may want to let the senior living operator know that you would prefer a unit within close proximity to the community pool. If you love the idea of spending your days reading in the communal library, then a unit near the library would be your preferred location. Your first preference may not always be available, but it’s still good to think about these things before moving in and letting your contact person know about your preferences so they can do their best to accommodate them.

Shared Facilities vs. In-Unit Appliances

Many senior living communities offer shared laundry facilities, private kitchens that can be reserved for family dinners, and private dining rooms that can be used for special occasions. When picturing your life in retirement, have you thought about the facilities and appliances you would like to have access to within your own apartment to use on a daily basis versus the ones that you would be happy to share for occasional use? Some units come with full kitchens while others have more simplified kitchenettes. If you love cooking, you may prioritize having a full kitchen in your chosen unit. On the contrary, your idea of a happy retirement might involve no cooking at all, where you take full advantage of the community’s dining program. No judgment here; we would be doing the exact same thing! Some apartments come with their own washer and dryer whilst others may have you sharing a laundry room with the fellow residents on your floor. Take some time to think about the things that are most important to you so you can have a list of questions ready to ask your tour guide.

Kithward provides floor plans for most apartment types available at the senior living communities in our database, so you can start to explore your options before you schedule a tour. When browsing various community profiles, simply click on any floor plan to enlarge the image and see a full list of amenities within each unit type.