Happy new year from myLifeSite! We hope your holiday season has been filled with joy, relaxation, and time with loved ones. As we begin 2020, let’s take a moment to look back at the five myLifeSite blog posts from 2019 that received the most views.

#5: One Word That Should be Removed from Senior Living Lingo

Are there certain words that make you feel a certain way, triggering either positive or negative feelings? Family, work, home, taxes, and vacation might be a few examples.

Working in the senior living space, I think a lot about the specific terminology that is used within our industry vertical, as well as the aging-related language used in society at large. I’ve often considered how the vernacular might be finessed to improve the image of the industry, giving people a more favorable overall impression of the various senior living concepts, thus improving the industry’s overall “brand” and marketability.

#4: 3 Reasons Seniors Delay a CCRC Move & Why They Should Reconsider

AARP research identified the most common reasons that people give for not wanting to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC, or life plan community) or other senior living community. They included: the physical stress in moving, fear of losing independence, anxiety over leaving a community, emotional attachment to a family home, and fear of the unknown.

These findings are not too different from our 2019 myLifeSite Consumer Survey results. We found that even when prospective residents of a CCRC feel that making the move is the best choice for them over the long-term, there are a variety of reason that might indefinitely delay the decision to move. Here’s a look at each of the three most common reasons that people say they are putting off their CCRC move and some reasons they may want to reconsider their delay.

#3: Will Aging in Place Soon Become a Thing of the Past?

I know that it’s only within the last 10 years or so that the term “aging in place” has become part of the vernacular, driven in large part by countless industry articles and surveys showing that upwards of 90 percent of seniors say they want to stay in their home for as long as possible.

But is it really that farfetched to suggest that the day may come when society looks at the concept of “aging in place” as the least desirable option for older adults? I don’t think it is as audacious as some may think. In fact, a few preliminary observations suggest that we may already be heading in that direction.

#2: Crunch the Numbers: Staying in Your Home vs. Moving to a CCRC

Looking at the 2019 myLifeSite Consumer Survey results, there are several common factors that are holding people back from making a decision about a CCRC or causing them to delay their move to one. Tops on that list is that prospective residents simply don’t think they are old enough to move to a CCRC yet (46.6 percent of respondents). But second on the list of things that are holding people back is concerns about the long-term affordability of living in a CCRC (41.9 percent of respondents).

I often hear people say that, while they would like to move to a CCRC, they believe staying in their home will be less expensive on a month-to-month basis. But is this actually the case? Maybe, maybe not.

And the most-read blog post we wrote in 2019 was….

#1: 5 Reasons to Make Your CCRC Move Sooner Than Later

Our 2019 myLifeSite Consumer Survey uncovered a lot of interesting information about prospective residents of CCRCs. One of the questions that I thought was particularly revealing was about people’s reasons for delaying a move to a CCRC. The most common response to this question was, “I don’t feel like I’m old enough for a retirement community,” with over 46 percent of survey participants selecting this as a reason they are delaying their CCRC move.

So that begs the questions: When is the right time to move to a CCRC? What is the ideal age?

If you think a CCRC is right for you, but you feel like you aren’t old enough to move to one yet, here are five reasons why you may want to consider moving sooner rather than later.

Senior living blog posts you can use!

Each week, myLifeSite posts new blog entries on topics that are important to seniors. We invite you to visit our main blog page where you can see recent posts, sign up to receive notification when a new blog post is added, or search previous posts for information that is of interest to you. Or if you are researching CCRCs, be sure to check out our online community search tool.

FREE Detailed Profile Reports on CCRCs/Life Plan Communities
Search Communities