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Life Plan Communities: A New Concept for Aging in Place on Long Island

Gurwin Family of Healthcare Services

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Congratulations! You’ve retired and are now considering how best to enjoy this new chapter in your life, right here on Long Island where you’ve raised your family, created memories and made lifelong friends. Fortunately, there are many options for housing right in or near your own backyard where you have a world of culture, fine dining, and glorious beaches—as well as city life—at your fingertips.

Making sense of all the different types of senior housing available on Long Island can be a challenge. From 55+ communities to those more oriented toward healthcare to simply staying put, there are many options for active older adults. Let us help you make sense of it all, and introduce an exciting new option, too!

A (seemingly) obvious choice: A 55+ community


Are you an empty nester ready to downsize? At this point in your life, you want to live where you can be as active as ever while being surrounded by like-minded neighbors. A 55+ or age-restricted community may be one of the first options that comes to mind, as they unite individuals and couples similar in age and offer social activities and amenities like outdoor maintenance services to alleviate the burden of property upkeep.

While a 55+ community might be suitable for the short-term, it may not necessarily be the right choice in the long term, depending on your healthcare needs. One of the reasons for this is that 55+ communities typically do not offer any on-site healthcare. Should the need arise, this could mean another move—years after settling into your long-awaited retirement—to somewhere that offers the healthcare services that are needed.

An assessment of assisted living

Assisted living communities do a great job of providing residents just the right amount of daily help, allowing for maximized independence while easing the burden of care on adult children. But if you are very active, independent and not in need of help with daily living activities, assisted living may not be the right fit.

If you are a lifelong runner, biker, yogi, sailor, hiker—the list goes on—a community that enables you to maintain and sustain that energy is the ideal option. Therefore, if you don’t foresee the need for daily assistance, moving immediately into assisted living is probably not the right choice, either.

Staying in your house sounds easy, but is it really?

You love your house. You’ve made memories there and worked hard to make it a special place for you and your family. But, you’ve also worked just as hard to maintain it and cover all of the routine—and plenty of unexpected—expenses associated with living there.
Beyond that, you like your house, but it may be way too large for your present needs, and the constant cleaning and yardwork are either becoming a grind, or have been for years.
Even if you contract some help with landscaping and housecleaning, the investment of money and time toward living in your house may not sit well during retirement, especially when looking at the monthly bills or glancing at the clock after another round of chores.
With all of this in mind, one thing remains clear: You want to enjoy every aspect of your retirement dreams. It’s an exciting time to spend as you choose. Looking further, if you’re a planner, having the peace of mind of a secure future would seal the deal. So, what options remain for senior housing on Long Island that fit these criteria?

Look toward a Life Plan Community

One of the newest concepts in senior independent living on Long Island, a Life Plan Community offers all the advantages of a 55+ community with added amenities and activities, plus the unique benefit of access to a continuum of healthcare services on the community campus if needed in the future. This innovative model of retirement living includes priority access to multiple levels of on-site care including home health care, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing care for rehabilitation or long-term nursing needs—all conveniently located on one campus. Retiring to a Life Plan Community enables a virtually seamless transition among these levels of care when and if ever needed.

The retirement years are a time to enjoy your newfound free time and pursue your pleasures. Planning ahead for your housing and healthcare needs for the next chapter of your life will help put you on secure footing on your journey to retirement bliss. Enjoy!

Fountaingate Gardens is a soon-to-be-built Life Plan Community located on the campus of the renowned Gurwin Healthcare System in Commack, Long Island. The new independent living community, featuring 129 apartment homes, will provide an active, wellness-focused lifestyle with healthcare options that provide long-term peace of mind and financial security. Visit www.fountaingateli.org or call (631) 715-2693.