Many older adults are moving into Independent Living communities, and you’ve been wondering if you should do the same. You don’t need help with daily activities, so is this senior living option right for you?

Absolutely! There are many reasons to consider moving into Independent Living before you need assistance with daily activities.

Look at these five reasons to stop putting off your dream retirement and start living the life you want with Independent Living at Friendship Village.

1. Healthy and delicious food at your fingertips

Whether you’re trying out a new cuisine, indulging in your favorite comfort or enjoying breakfast, there’s nothing like sharing a meal with your friends. However, eating out regularly isn’t great for your waistline or your wallet. Independent Living communities offer a variety of food options that are delicious, healthy and better for your bank account.

For instance, both our senior living communities in St. Louis, MO, feature flexible dining options and complimentary continental breakfast. Along with multiple dining venues, our communities also feature gourmet menus created by award-winning chefs. That means you don’t need to go to an expensive restaurant for an excellent dining experience, because incredible food is just steps away from your front door.

If cooking is your passion, you can still create culinary masterpieces in your senior apartment or villa. Many communities, like ours at Friendship Village, offer floor plans with kitchens that feature updated appliances and dining areas.

2. Abundant opportunities to explore your love of learning

Have you always wanted to try your hand at watercolor or get more familiar with the latest technology? Independent Living communities are the perfect place to pursue your love of learning, because there are conveniently scheduled classes and activities that match any interest.

Here are just a few ways you can continue your education in Independent Living at Friendship Village:

• Learn how to create gorgeous floral arrangements.
• Express your creative side with watercolor and acrylic paints.
• Master the latest apps and technology for seniors on your smart device.
• Send beautiful handwritten notes by taking a calligraphy class.
• Uncover something new in a science class.
• Revisit the past in a history class.

You can also sign up for online courses through a university or local community college, and learn something new at your own pace. Our retirement communities at Friendship Village have wireless internet service, which means you can log hours learning whatever and whenever you want.

3. Easy ways to meet new people who share common interests

You love being around the children in your life, but it’s also nice to spend time with older adults like yourself. The social spaces, activities and events in Independent Living are thoughtfully designed to suit a wide variety of interests, which makes it easy to find a group of individuals you have something in common with.

For instance, our Sunset Hills Independent Living community has a bocce ball club, drama club, quilting group, and choir ready to welcome new members. We even have a train club with a dedicated room filled with dazzling miniature scenes created by our residents.

4. Convenient opportunities to lead a healthy lifestyle

Coordinating ways to achieve a wellness-focus lifestyle is difficult when you live in a residential neighborhood. Getting to the gym for a workout, stopping at the grocery store for healthy food, spending time with your friends, all while finding time to dedicate to intellectual and spiritual growth, is nothing short of exhausting.

At Independent Living communities like ours at Friendship Village, living well is easy. Eat nutritious meals, walk to the fitness center, take a lifelong learning class, spend time with your neighbors and find mindful moments in the chapel without ever leaving the comfort of your community. Our retirement communities even have wellness coordinators and personal trainers to help you stay on the path for a healthy retirement.

You also have access to higher levels of care, like Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing, at our senior living communities, should you ever need them. You’ll never have to worry about moving to another community to receive the care you need to maintain an independent lifestyle, and you’ll still be close to the friends and neighbors you’ve grown to know over the years.

5. Less responsibility with maintenance-free living

If you’ve lived in St. Louis most of your life, you know how much work it takes to maintain your lawn in autumn. Just when you think you’re done raking leaves, a Midwestern wind blows another layer of fall foliage over your yard. Combined with all your other household chores, it’s easy to spend your entire weekend just maintaining your home.

With Independent Living, you can kick your rake to the curb and take back your weekends in a maintenance-free senior apartment or villa. A professional grounds team meticulously maintains the exterior features of the community and an expert maintenance team takes care of repairs and updates inside your residence.

We take things a step further by including these services with your residence at Freedom Village:

• All utilities, including cable TV and local and long-distance telephone service
• Wireless internet service
• Biweekly housekeeping services
• Flat linens laundered weekly

Many of our residents also get rid of the responsibility of car and insurance payments by taking advantage of scheduled transportation for medical appointments, trips to grocery stores and other errands.

Design Your Retirement at Friendship Village Senior Living Communities

You have more opportunity than ever to achieve your dream retirement at our Independent Living communities at Friendship Village. Our new expansions in both our Sunset Hills and Chesterfield communities, offer senior apartments and villas that are available right now! To learn how you can get everything you want and more out of retirement, contact our senior living experts online, and we’ll be in touch shortly.