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Southgate at Shrewsbury

Retirement community near Shrewsbury and Worcester, MA

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1.800.492.8331

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Meeting New People and Making New Friends Within a Retirement Community

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Building a Social Network is Important for Health and Happiness

First of all, congratulations on reaching the point of retirement! You’ve surely worked hard to get to this point and have had many visions of what your retirement may entail. Now it’s time to make those visions your new reality, and live your best life during your golden years,

Second, though, are certain hurdles that need to be cleared in order to thoroughly enjoying life in retirement. When you’re selecting a retirement community, be sure to inspect the social atmosphere to gauge whether you see yourself making new friends and forging bonds with people in the same way you have throughout the other phases of your life. Human connection is vital to happiness and health in an independent living facility, where feelings of isolation and loneliness take hold if you have difficulties fitting in.

Although it may be one of the more daunting aspects of retiring, communities like Southgate at Shrewsbury have vibrant social communities. Our campus is chock-full of friendly and unique residents, as well as staff that are supportive and engaged. There are a variety of ways to facilitate meeting people within your new community and things to make sure you look for—this blog will go over a few to help you get your social life in retirement off to a good start.

Things to Look For

When looking into independent living facilities, be sure to visit and observe the common areas across the campus. Communities like Southgate at Shrewsbury have a diverse and wide variety of facilities for resident use. Be sure to stop by the heath club and make sure the facilities will work for you, as you maintain your physical health in retirement. In addition to a traditional health club, you will find a variety of other spaces in which to meet other residents and gather.

Our facilities include an on-site four-lane bowling alley, a library with a cozy fireplace, billiard and card rooms, a nondenominational chapel and more. Be sure you take a thorough tour and assess the options against your lifestyle. Ask about the existence of groups and clubs you may be interested in, as well as opportunities to connect with the nearby community. If your independent living facility checks these boxes, you will be setting yourself up for happiness in retirement.

In addition to things you should look for, there are things you can do that will enhance your ability to make friends and build a true community within your independent living facility.

Start a Group or Club

You’ve made it to retirement, so it’s safe to assume you’ve built up a fair number of interests and hobbies over the course of your life, so far. Whether you’re an avid reader of a specific genre of literature, a film and television buff or enjoy cooking new dishes from around the world, an independent living facility provides you with a large pool of residents that might have similar interests.

Starting a group or club is great way to introduce yourself to your new neighbors and make new friends. Pick an interest or hobby and think about how you’d introduce it to others at your first meeting. After that, you can put

together announcements to print and post in common areas. Examples of great areas to post at a facility such as Southgate at Shrewsbury would be dining facilities and the cocktail lounge, the health club and spa, the on-campus park and the library.

If you’d like to start a club or group but are short of ideas, this list of 100 hobbies and activities will surely help light the spark.

Get Involved in the Greater Community

Perhaps you are passionate about helping children or the disadvantaged, or you enjoy teaching and mentoring others in the field you used to work in. Maybe you are driven by a specific cause, or you love spending time with animals. If any of those describe you, be sure to find a place for your some of your time within the greater community and spread the word so others can join you on a journey beyond the walls of your independent living facility.

We’ve discussed ways to find mentorship opportunities, in a previous blog post. If you are looking for volunteer opportunities and do not have an organization or cause in mind, try visiting volunteermatch.org and searching in your area. You’ll be surprised at the amount of interesting opportunities exist! Getting together with some of your new neighbors to venture forth and do good things in the world will surely bring good feelings and lead to forging friendships that will be such an integral part of your life in retirement.

It is impossible to understate the importance of developing a healthy social life in retirement, just as it has been in every other phase of your life. Without a career taking up at least eight hours every day, there is more time to fill with whatever you’d like to fill it with. Be sure you fill that time with engaging and stimulating activities that will keep you from feeling left out and feeling lonely. When you enter a retirement community, the possibilities for friendship are numerous and will only enhance this exciting and final phase of your life you’ve worked so hard to get to.

Choosing the Right Retirement Community For You

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What Does Retirement Look Like To You?

As you exit the career phase of life and enter the vast, uncertain world of retirement, the transition can seem intimidating. We all envision retirement differently, so there is no universal approach. If you are evaluating a retirement community as an option, how do you know which one is right for you? What should you look for?

Retirement communities like Southgate At Shrewsbury are as diverse and unique as the individuals that reside with us. We greet new residents in various stages of retirement with different care needs, and our staff is well-versed in assisting our community members adapt to their new lifestyle. Furthermore, each retirement community also offers a different campus aesthetic and a plethora of on- and off-campus activities for residents to take advantage of.

Because you are unique, creating a list of what you value at this stage in your life will help you select what will ultimately be your home during this new and exciting phase of your life. We will go over some important factors to consider in helping you narrow your search.

Location

The first thing you should do is make a list of what is important to you in retirement. If you have a close-knit family and being close to them is important, check into regionally convenient locations. Southgate At Shrewsbury is a good example of regional convenience—our location is centralized for Massachusetts, all New England and the entire North Atlantic region.

If you are active and enjoy outdoor activities, this will also help you narrow your location based on access. Do you desire the hustle and bustle of a big city, or quiet suburban or rural surroundings? If you require specific medical care, is there easy access to the appropriate medical facilities and personnel?

All these factors can help you narrow the possible locations for your retirement community of choice. SeniorLiving.org contains a large database of retirement communities searchable by city or zip code so you can compare your options in target areas.

Facilities

After you have successfully narrowed your possible locations, it’s time to delve deeper into what each retirement community offers. Like each individual retiree, communities come in all shapes and sizes. It’s time to make another list—think about what you have at home that you use or what you would like to have at home that you would use.

If cooking is a big part of your life, make sure living units are equipped with a kitchen you deem adequate (on the other hand, if you burn toast, make sure you find a community with quality on-site dining facilities and services). If you like your home equipped with the latest technology, you’ll want to ensure your new living space has the same capabilities.

Additionally, you’ll want to consider your hobbies and interests. If you’re handy or crafty, you will find retirement

communities like Southgate At Shrewsbury often offer dedicated facilities for various crafters.

Perhaps you like to garden, play card games or bowl. Maybe you like to swim, do yoga or lift weights. Ultimately, you want to make sure your retirement community contains the proper facilities to allow you the ability to maximize the enjoyment of both your life at home and your recreation. You can now narrow your location-based list of retirement communities, even further.

Services & Amenities

At this point, your list of possible retirement communities has been trimmed down, significantly. To cut out the final chunk and find the place that’s right for you, it’s time to open the blinds and see what lies beyond the windows in each potential community. Each retirement community has a unique list of services and amenities that will play a role in your experience as a resident. Identifying the services and amenities you are most likely to use and enjoy is key.

Your health and the outlook of your future health should play a critical role when considering services offered. You may in perfect health now and capable of living at home independently, but if something were to come up, you want to make sure your retirement community provides the assistance you would need. The transition from independent to assisted living within your community is very important, as are the health-related services available to residents.

Other lifestyle changes should also be considered when evaluating the services offered at retirement communities. If you become unable to drive, does the community provide access to chauffeur services? Is there an efficient, built-in alert system in case of emergencies? Particularly important if you desire a community in a densely populated city, what is the on-site security like?

At this point in your search, schedule tours at your already-narrowed list of facilities. Pay special attention to the upkeep, and ask about maintenance services, requests and response time. Particularly in areas where harsh weather is more frequent, 24-hour emergency maintenance services are vital.

Many amenities may sound great on paper, but which ones would you really use? It’s time to make another list—compile your hobbies and interests and compare them against the amenities advertised. As you tour retirement communities, take notes about the facilities and amenities offered that you’re interested in to compare against other communities with similarly advertised amenities. Developing a simple numeric rating scale is an effective tool that will aid you when comparing different communities that offer similar amenities.

Other amenities to consider are those that could benefit your overall quality of life. Retirement communities like Southgate At Shrewsbury offers a variety of such amenities such as health spas, salons, libraries and even on-site convenience stores to make your daily life more efficient and enjoyable. Take note of these conveniences, as well, and determine which are more important to you.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a retirement community; it is a decision that will play a large part in shaping your retirement lifestyle. By narrowing your search by desired location and required facilities, and by asking lots of questions during your tour, you will arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make the most informed decision for the well-being of your post-career life. You’ve worked hard to get to retirement—make the best of it by selecting the retirement community that will be the best fit for you.

8 Reasons Why Many Seniors Prefer Senior Living Communities To Living Alone

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1. The end of yard work and home maintenance

Keeping up a home is hard, especially for those of us who have developed physical ailments. Mowing the lawn, climbing a ladder to change light bulbs, shoveling snow, pulling weeds, vacuuming- these become things of the past. You can enjoy the beautiful New England seasons without having to rake a leaf or pick up a shovel. At Southgate at Shrewsbury, our dedicated staff is here to ensure those worries are a thing of the past.  But don’t worry green thumbs: residents are more than welcome to adopt a garden.

2. Vanquishing boredom

Residents need never be bored at a senior community. There’s something for everyone. All kinds of entertainment and activities are offered, both on-site and out in the local community. Entertainment can range from visiting musicians and performers, to day trips that might include local landmarks, forays into nature, or just an outing to the local art museum.  Southgate offers countless amenities to allow you to pursue your hobbies and explore new interests, including a health club and spa, indoor swimming pool, candlepin bowling alley, woodworking shop, arts and crafts studio, billiard and card rooms, fireplaced library, and much, much more!

3. Better family relationships

Older folks frequently become dependent on their grown children, or other close family members, for help of all kinds. Unnatural role reversals can strain relationships and foster unhealthy feelings of resentment, both by parents and their sons and daughters. Younger family members are liberated from the role of full-time caregivers, and are able to assure that time with their older loved one is meaningful and high-quality. Older residents are glad to return to the role of family matriarch or patriarch and often pleased that their grown children no longer have to “parent the parent”.

4. Better food

There are many residents at senior communities who used to live alone, and were not eating right. Some skipped meals, some were living on ice-cream alone, and one lady would put cat-litter in the coffee brewer. At Southgate, residents don’t have to worry about grocery shopping, meal preparation, or even coffee brewing, if they don’t want to. In addition to fully-equipped kitchens in every apartment, you can enjoy a fine dining experience every day of the week at the Fountain Cafe, the Atrium Dining Room, or the Saratoga Cocktail Lounge.  A full menu offers you a selection of entrees, as well as a variety of seasonally-inspired dishes to satisfy the pallet.  Alternative meals are almost always offered and special diet needs can be accommodated. It’s common for new residents, who had been eating poorly before they moved in, to experience breathtaking improvements in their health and well-being just from three square meals per day.

5. No more stressful driving

Driving can be a tense and stressful as we age, and our driving abilities may not be what they once were either. For these reasons, most residents prefer to take advantage of the free transportation that’s provided by Southgate at Shrewsbury. There’s no need to rely on a car any longer, although parking is available for residents who still drive.

6. Feeling like myself again

Living alone, we may not be able to participate in games and activities we enjoyed, that were both fun, and helped keep us sharp. But senior communities offer a wealth of opportunities to keep engaged. This can include favorite games like chess, bridge and poker, engaging reading groups and discussion groups, and fascinating classes and lectures on every conceivable topic.  Southgate at Shrewsbury offers a variety of activities like our summer concert series, lobster bakes in the park, and our legendary Southgate Olympics for all to enjoy.  In addition, our diverse program calendar includes oil painting, jewelry-making, bowling, bocci, woodworking, language arts & more.

7. Making new friends

Older adults who live alone often become isolated, which is unhealthy at any age. At senior communities we can make friends, share a meal, and enjoy festive occasions with one another. On the other hand, those of us who are more introverted appreciate that our privacy is respected, but are still glad to have folks around.

8. Finally feeling safe

Residents can rest easy knowing that they are secured from thieves, con-men and ne’er-do-wells. Furthermore, residents enjoy the peace of mind that comes from the emergency response systems that are in each apartment, or sometimes on the resident’s person as a pendant. This alleviates fears about falling and becoming trapped for hours or even days, a scenario that’s all too common for senior’s residing alone.  Southgate at Shrewsbury provides unparalleled 24-hour staff, security, and emergency response systems to each and every resident.

If you are interested in learning more about Southgate at Shrewsbury’s unsurpassed amenities or would like to schedule a tour, please call us toll-free at 1-800-492-8331.  It’s not too early to start living your ideal retirement lifestyle!