People are watching the assisted living trends of 2019! The baby boomer generation – those born between 1946 and 1964 – started turning 65 in 2011. By 2030, the baby boomers will make up 20% of the US population or around 60 million people!
And they will have many high expectations about their retirement. You might already be noticing this with your senior loved one. Advancing technology and increasing globalization are changing the type of lifestyles we value. And this is no different for your senior loved one.
Your loved one will and should expect to maintain their lifestyle in their golden years. Retirement communities in Winston-Salem have to adapt to meet baby boomer’s high standard of living – and do it quickly.
Assisted Living Trends of 2019
Reinventing Food
The rich palette of your senior will not disappear in retirement communities. There is easy access to many delicious restaurants outside of the retirement community. And of course, there is nothing better than a home-cooked meal. But these options are not always practical.
Retirement communities in Winston-Salem can bridge the gap by stepping up their food game. One option is to expand the menu for special diets like gluten-free and vegetarianism. Another is to diversify the menu to include global cuisines such as Japanese or Thai food.
A Focus on Wellness
Baby boomers understand the importance of staying active to be healthy. Wellness and lifestyle programs need to be a staple of retirement communities in Winston-Salem. Our Wellness Edge emphasizes promoting good health as a preventative measure against illness. This means offering activities that keep your loved one physically fit like yoga.
Financial Flexibility
Society and families like yours are feeling the shift that comes with so many people retiring all at once. More payment options would ease the financial burden on everyone. Flexibility in payment periods might make retirement communities in Winston-Salem more accessible to your family.
Financial accountability also is an important feature to consider for the future. Your senior loved one (and you!) should be able to understand where the money is going. Is your retirement community in Winston-Salem being fiscally responsible for providing the best care possible?
A Curated Environment
A home reflects the personality of their owner, and leaving that home could be hard for your senior. The transition to a retirement community in Winston-Salem can be made easier. Providing more control in personalizing their space could reduce your loved one’s discomfort. Some options are choices in apartment fixtures, designs, and furnishings.
Technological Advantage
Technology continues to change our social landscape year after year dramatically. Retirement communities in Winston-Salem should be no exception to this trend. Your senior loved one should benefit from technology to live a healthier, more prosperous life.
Telehealth, for example, allows doctors to meet patients remotely. The doctor could assist your loved one without needing to go to a hospital or clinic. This provides seniors another option in managing their health and lifestyle.
Tech companies are already working on meeting the needs of baby boomers. One company called “It’s Never 2 Late” developed a picture-based, touchscreen computer system. It allows seniors to make selections without straining at small computer fonts. Options that make your senior’s life easier will continue to hit the market in the coming years.
Access to a good computer is essential in today’s world. Keeping in touch with family and friends is vital to a senior’s health, and a computer can make this easier. Webcams make interacting with distant loved ones simple using both audio and video. Computers also offer an unlimited supply of engaging content for your loved one. Computer programs and video games can help keep minds active.
In the next decade, new innovative technologies will be commonplace in retirement communities in Winston-Salem. They will help baby boomers like your loved one enjoy their retirement. Sensing technology in fitness monitors will keep constant vigil over vital signs. In the future, the detection of health issues will become more automated. Memory care and rehabilitation bolstered by modern technology will be more effective. All these combined will improve the general health and standard of living of your loved one.
Why It Matters
So why does all this matter? Traditionally, seniors would leverage their family network in their golden years. Children would provide support and care to their parents. But society is shifting away from these types of arrangements.
Many factors are contributing to this shift, such as:
- an increase in divorce disrupting family support networks
- more women in the labor force mean less at home to be primary caregivers for family members
- fewer children compared to previous generations means more caregiving responsibilities for each family member
This means more seniors are likely to choose retirement communities over staying home. As a booming industry, there are many options out there for retirement communities in Winston-Salem. You need to research them carefully and pick a retirement community that fits your loved one.
The retirement community needs to show a commitment to improving its services. Not only that, but the community needs to show it can adopt new technologies. It needs to be able to take cultural shifts in stride. Finally, the retirement community needs to be able to offer your loved one a good quality of life. That means keeping up to date with new trends in technology and lifestyle.
Your senior deserves to enjoy their golden years. The conveniences of technology and fulfilling life should not end at 65.
Heritage Woods in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is up to the challenge. We provide a variety of options for both assisted and independent living with many perks to enhance your loved one’s quality of life. Call us at 336-768-2011 or reach out to us online to learn more about our services and how we can meet your loved one’s needs.