Retirement Communities Are Not Nursing Homes: Common Myths and Misconceptions About Retirement Communities

Living in a retirement community gives residents the option to enjoy daily exercise, entertainment and various activities.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about retirement communities. We plan to help set the record straight with this article. Here are the 5 most common misconceptions about retirement communities:

Myth #1: Retirement communities are the same as nursing homes

This is perhaps the biggest myth when it comes to retirement communities. Cottage Grove Place is not a nursing home. We offer a variety of lifestyle options for community members. Including:

• Independent Living– Gives residents the freedom of living in their own home while eliminating the hassles that come with home ownership such as weekly housekeeping, meal plans and home maintenance.
• Assisted Living– If someone needs extra services such as bathing, medication management, or help getting dressed, they would qualify for assisted living.
• Skilled Nursing– If someone needs 24-hour skilled care, they have the option of residing in our health center.
• Memory Care– This level of service fits the needs of someone specifically with cognitive issues who would also need extra services.

Living in a retirement community gives residents the option to enjoy daily exercise, entertainment and various activities. It also gives them opportunities to meet new people and make new friends all while knowing as they continue to age, they don’t have to worry about moving again.

Myth #2: They don’t allow parties or pets

If you believe this, you likely haven’t visited a real retirement community — especially ours. We are all about finding a reason to celebrate. In fact, we recently had a luau party! Not into luau’s? That’s alright! We’re always coming up with new, fun activities for community members to partake in — we recently organized a zip lining activity too!

As far as pets go, many retirement communities understand pets aren’t just animals, they’re companions that often provide a sense of security and emotional support. At Cottage Grove, we love ‘em. Bring your furry friend along with you, we would never ask you to leave them behind.

Myth #3: They’re more expensive than living at home

According to AARP, senior-friendly home modifications can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000. In addition, visiting caregiver services run about $4,000 per month. It’s safe to say living at home, or aging in place as it’s commonly referred to, is not always the cheapest option.

Not to mention if you opt to live at home by staying at home you spend twice as much time doing housework and shopping as someone in a retirement community according to a recent TIME Magazine article.

Our hope is to make the financial planning process as easy as possible for potential residents, which is why we offer our own personalized assessment tool to so you can learn which type of residential options at Cottage Grove Place may be a good financial fit for you. Just click here to take the assessment.

Myth #4: People living in retirement communities lack independence

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Residents are welcome to come and go as they please. We offer daily transportation around the community for residents to utilize. In fact, we have many community members spend much of their time traveling all over the country, and in some cases, the world!

Myth #5: The meals provided are basic, bland and unappetizing.

Every morning we offer free continental breakfast. The dining room is open at night for supper and for Sunday brunch. You can also bon appétit at the Cottage Grill, which serves food all day long. All dining options feature a variety of mouth-watering meal choices.

Not to mention we often host a variety of local food trucks in our community that provide foods such as gyros or tacos.

See? Retirement communities aren’t bad at all. If you’re still not convinced, book a tour or call us at 319-302-3564.