Tag: Senior Community

Downsizing doesn’t have to be about moving to a smaller space. It can also be about decluttering and rightsizing to meet your exact lifestyle needs.

If you’re considering moving into a senior living community during the upcoming year, let us help with ideas for getting your things prepared. There are a handful of easy ways that older adults can save time when preparing for a move to a retirement community.

Keep reading to explore some of the best ways to scale down in the new year and make resolutions for a smooth move to senior living. We’ll also offer insight into how decluttering and downsizing can streamline the moving process.

Start Downsizing Early

Preparing for a move into a senior living community involves decisions, organization, sorting, packing and, finally, the actual move itself. Through all this, it’s important to prioritize your own wellness and have a clear idea of what kind of space you need.

A key idea that’s gaining momentum is smart sizing, which emphasizes moving to the right-sized space for your lifestyle. Waterstone of Lexington’s premier independent living units provide such a space – with spacious floor plans offering just what you need and want – and access to the enriching lifestyle you desire.

Start Small

You should start the process small by organizing, sorting and labeling items.

Begin with the very small, such as heirlooms or accessories, then move on to the very large, such as art or furniture. Box up what needs to be padded and label other items with painter’s tape for their future location. Ideally, if you organize thoroughly, the moving company can start loading their truck within minutes of arriving at your home. You might also want to contact a Senior Move Manager® to get help with what to prioritize.

Donate, Gift or Sell Items

One of the absolute best ways to declutter is to assess what’s in your home and how often you use it. If you don’t use it regularly and it doesn’t serve your immediate needs, consider donating, gifting, or selling such items.

For any possessions that you don’t want, label or place them in a ‘To Be Donated’ box. Gift these items to those in need or to local shelters or centers.

Pass on cherished items to friends, families, or neighbors who can use them. You can also organize a garage, yard or sidewalk sale and price things fairly to quickly find them good homes.

Focus on Just One Room at a Time

A good practice is to focus on one room at a time. You might experience emotional attachment while working through a lifetime of memories. It’s important to give time enough to sort through those memories. You never know what you might find or how it will impact you.

You may want to try moving clockwise through your home, spending the same amount of time on the downsizing in each area, every day. Before you know it, your home will be packed, and you’ll be on your way to a brand-new space – one where you will have an engaging lifestyle right at your fingertips and where your family members can gather to make brand-new memories.

Waterstone of Lexington: Your New Forwarding Address

Waterstone of Lexington offers a modern approach to retirement living in a historical setting with full amenities and services. Come see how we redefine independent living, assisted living and memory care at our Welcome Center in Belmont. The community will open in late summer 2022.

You’ve likely looked forward to retirement most of your life, and now that it’s here, are you ready? Sometimes new retirees experience a sense of loss in terms of engagement with activities that fill their days with purpose. Many find themselves bored – and even lonely.

“Finding a new hobby in your senior years can be the cure,” says Raymond L’Heureux, Senior Advisor at Waterstone of Lexington. “Now is the perfect time to rediscover favorite pastimes, explore new activities and find creative ways to stay physically active and socially engaged. There are plenty of hobbies to try that will help you stay busy, learn new skills, expand your knowledge and help you fully enjoy your newfound leisure time in retirement.”

Studies also show that those who engage in a new hobby experience a host of health benefits as well as mental and emotional health advantages.

“Every hobby offers a way for beginners to start, and many hobbies require little-to-no previous knowledge,” says Raymond. “Starting a new hobby is all about discovering new joy – and often allows you to connect with others with similar interests.”

At Waterstone of Lexington, it will be easy for seniors to nurture their passions and try something new. With a dedicated life enrichment team, there will be opportunities around every corner – for every interest. Best of all, residents will have plenty of friends to explore with. To help you expand your horizons and get creative in the process of trying a hobby at this exciting time of life, here is a list of unique – and fun – ideas. Start exploring!

Learn (or Relearn) an Instrument

Guitar, piano, drums … It’s never too late to pick up a musical instrument and learn how to play your favorite songs. Whether playing solo or with friends, playing music soothes the soul.

Solving Puzzles

Puzzles regained popularity during the pandemic. And that’s a good thing because puzzles can encourage sharper mental acuity. Whether it’s a jigsaw puzzle, sudoku, word searches or crosswords, puzzles can make a leisurely afternoon more fun.

Cooking

Rather than viewing cooking as a daily chore, look at it as a fun way to perfect your favorite dishes or to shake up your eating habits with bold, new recipes.

Show off new skills by starting a gourmet club or inviting friends and family members over for a themed dinner party. Experiment with unusual ingredients, explore new cultures and taste global cuisines. The possibilities are endless.

Walking

Whether you prefer the city or a serene park, getting outside and walking is one of the best ways to exercise and stay fit. As you gain endurance, try longer trails or routes or tackle more rugged terrain.

Gardening

From starting a vegetable patch to curating an indoor terrarium, gardening provides a satisfying experience from start to finish. With so many vegetables, herbs and flowers to choose from, you’ll have every opportunity to create a garden that’s perfectly curated for you.

Yoga

Yoga is not only relaxing, but it is also a great low-impact way to keep your body flexible, toned and limber. Yoga positions and movements span several levels of difficulty that provide invested beginners a hobby that they can grow into as they practice.

Tai Chi

Tai chi is an ancient martial art that consists of slow, flowing movements designed to produce a meditative experience. This form of exercise is perfect for strengthening and toning through relaxing motions.

Swimming

As a low-impact exercise, swimming is a great way for seniors to maintain fitness. Learning new strokes and techniques can bring both challenges and a sense of accomplishment.

Pickleball

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. It combines the quickness and coordination of tennis – but without high-intensity cardio. It’s a two-on-two game where players try to hit a ball over the net in such a way that their opponents cannot hit it back. It’s a safe and fun way to stay active with a friend or a group of friends.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a popular hobby for seniors and a fulfilling way to spend your golden years. Studies show that seniors who volunteer experience lower rates of depression, higher levels of overall well-being. Volunteering can help reduce stress, offer a sense of accomplishment, and help improve seniors’ confidence and sense of purpose. There are countless ways to give back to your local community. Popular options include tutoring and mentoring, helping out at a hospital or delivering meals for your local Meals on Wheels.

Genealogy

Researching your family history is a fun pastime that not only introduces you to some distant relatives, but it can also help improve cognitive function.

Whatever works for you, finding an enjoyable hobby in your senior years is an important way to meet new people, stay engaged in life and connect with others.

Become One of Our First Residents

We look forward to introducing you to the definitive, distinctive lifestyle at Waterstone of Lexington and welcoming you as one of the first members of our community. For more information, please call ​781.728.3037 and discover how you can help shape the future of our premier rental community for seniors 62 and over.

Welcome Home to Waterstone of Lexington. Opening Late Summer 2022.

For seniors in Middlesex County who desire a luxurious lifestyle, we welcome you to Waterstone of Lexington. The mid-century style of this dynamic community was inspired by the nearby Gropius House and the area’s tradition of innovative, modern architecture. In this classic, beautiful new community, you’ll be inspired by all the amenities and programs to take up a new hobby, exercise in our fitness center and indoor pool, and make new friends while dining and enjoying social events.

Offering independent living and assisted living, Waterstone of Lexington provides myriad ways for seniors 62+ to enjoy their retirement to the fullest. Our rental community draws influence from Lexington, MA’s tradition of innovative, modern architecture and the open, natural environment around it.

Step inside and experience the calming yet engaging atmosphere that our talented architects and designers have so beautifully crafted. Waterstone of Lexington is filled with energizing and convenient amenities such as an indoor pool, fitness center, salon, underground parking and more. Then, enjoy your elegant living space – a large, sunlit apartment complete with a full-size designer kitchen, well-appointed bathroom, walk-in closet and more.

Our rental apartment community means no steep entrance fees, providing greater financial flexibility. Everything at Waterstone of Lexington was all created with you in mind, where our attentive team members, extensive programs and luxury amenities give you the ability to make life your own – how you like it.

Welcome to Waterstone of Lexington. Join the experience of what life is like at this premier senior living community by calling ​781.728.3037.

Have you been wondering what the difference is between independent living and assisted living? The differences are subtle but can result in differing care, differing options and additional costs, depending on your situation. Even if you haven’t done much research into senior living options, it’s important to know the similarities and differences in order to understand what will work best for you.

Independent and assisted living can mean multiple things to different people, which is why it’s so important to do your research. Both the independent and assisted living lifestyles at Waterstone of Lexington provide peace of mind for older adults.

As you’re searching for the right option for yourself or a senior loved one, here are the differences to take notice of:

Levels of care.

Assisted living facilities offer higher care levels than independent living communities. This can be very beneficial, particularly because some older adults often require higher levels of medical care than active, independent seniors. It also provides peace of mind for those active adults, giving them the confidence of additional care being available to them should it be needed in the future.

Amenities and services.

In an assisted living community, team members are available to provide support to older adults 24/7, no matter when or where they need it. Individuals can receive help with basic life tasks such as:

• Home cleaning
• Medication management
• Bathing, grooming and other activities of daily living
• Support to help maintain an independent lifestyle

In independent living, seniors don’t receive care services but instead benefit from concierge-style services that provide an active lifestyle with convenience. At Waterstone of Lexington, residents in both independent living and assisted living enjoy access to the community’s enriching amenities.

Contact with team members.

In assisted living, residents receive the daily caring assistance needed to help them enjoy an active lifestyle. For those in independent living, the amount of contact residents have with team members is truly up to them. Privacy is respected, but team members are always available and ready to assist. Team members also encourage residents – in any level of care – to enjoy the variety of dynamic lifestyle programs and events held at the community, but participation is never required.

Cost.

Independent senior living communities are, by nature, “independent” – providing a lifestyle, not senior care. Assisted living, on the other hand, involves personal care services, which can range from very minimal care to more extensive. This higher level of care and involvement means that assisted living is usually more expensive than independent living. Assisted living costs can sometimes be covered by insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, which can help offset the higher costs.

At Waterstone of Lexington, we will offer both independent and assisted living options, as well as memory care available at our sister community, Bridges^® by EPOCH, located across our campus. This is very important for an older adult’s quality of life, happiness and well-being. Having all care services available on-site means that our future residents will never need to leave the community they love in order to receive the support they require to live well.

Become One of Our First Residents Today!

We look forward to introducing you to the definitive, distinctive lifestyle at Waterstone of Lexington and welcoming you as a charter member of our community. For more information, please call ​781.728.3037 and discover how you can help shape the future of our premier rental community for seniors 62 and over.

Welcome Home to Waterstone of Lexington. Opening Late Summer 2022.

For seniors in Middlesex County who desire a luxurious lifestyle, we welcome you to Waterstone of Lexington. The mid-century style of this dynamic community was inspired by the nearby Gropius House and the area’s tradition of innovative, modern architecture. In this classic, beautiful new community, you’ll be inspired by all the amenities and programs to take up a new hobby, exercise in our fitness center and indoor pool, and make new friends while dining and enjoying social events.

Offering independent living and assisted living, Waterstone of Lexington provides myriad ways for seniors 62+ to enjoy their retirement to the fullest. Our rental community draws influence from Lexington, MA’s tradition of innovative, modern architecture and the open, natural environment around it.

Step inside and experience the calming yet engaging atmosphere that our talented architects and designers have so beautifully crafted. Waterstone of Lexington is filled with energizing and convenient amenities such as an indoor pool, fitness center, salon, underground parking and more. Then, enjoy your elegant living space – a large, sunlit apartment complete with a full-size designer kitchen, well-appointed bathroom, walk-in closet and more.

Our rental apartment community means no steep entrance fees, providing greater financial flexibility. Everything at Waterstone of Lexington was all created with you in mind, where our attentive team members, extensive programs and luxury amenities give you the ability to make life your own – how you like it.

Welcome to Waterstone of Lexington. Join the experience of what life is like at this premier senior living community by calling ​781.728.3037.