The Active Adult Community

As more and more Baby Boomers are breaking through the “55-years-and-above” barrier, the lifestyle offered by an active retirement community is becoming attractive for the increasing number of baby Boomers who have broken through the “55-years-and-over” barrier and become senior citizen material.

An active retirement community enables its residents to live as independently as their capabilities allow, while supplying them with every possible amenity. An active retirement community can consist of apartments, town homes or duplexes, or single family residences.

For senior citizens who prefer to spend their time on things other than household tasks, an active retirement community offers a nearly maintenance free way of life. The community management will even remover the efforts involved in arranging social, shopping, sporting, or entertainment activities.

An active retirement community may be located near golf courses, or have its own swimming pools and tennis courts for the enjoyment of its residents. It will organize and provide transportation for day trips to museums, concerts, art galleries, and movies or plays. Every active retirement community will have a clubhouse in which residents can gather to socialize or watch television; but the residents are required to take responsibility for their own health care arrangements. And only rarely will an active retirement community offer laundry services.

Active Retirement Community Regulations

The age restricted active retirement community is required, under regulations established by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, to have a resident population with at least four-fifths, or 80%, of its members above the age of 55. The remaining twenty percent of the facilities residents must be at least nineteen years old.

The other class of communities, the age-targeted retirement community, is also governed by the HUD regulations. An age-targeted retirement community is designed for residents over the age of 55 who have no children or minors in their care. The regulations do not exclude young people and grandchildren from visiting; they are welcome, but cannot become permanent residents.

The leisure, or resort, active retirement community will have a variety of onsite facilities for the use of its residents. This type of active retirement community emphasizes the social aspect of retirement, and will have fitness facilities, swimming pools and spas, tennis or even handball courts, and an active social calendar. Arranging classes in arts and crafts, and have community picnics and outings to local cultural attractions, an active retirement community will often have its own shuttle service to area grocery stores and shopping malls.

The active retirement community is an ideal solution for those who see retirement as the chance to catch up on everything they had no time for during their working years. It will provide them with an attractive, safe environment in which to make new friends, explore new interests, and just relax and enjoy life!

Article by Wade Robins