What's the Difference Between Independent Living and a Senior Apartment?
A fellow caregiver asked...
If a person wants to move to a smaller house, less to take care of, etc., should she move to "independent living" or a "senior apartment"? What's the difference between these two and what should I be searching for?
Expert Answer
Donna Quinn Robbins is the author of Moving Mom and Dad and On the Road of Life, Drive Yourself. She helps individuals, families, retirement communities, and corporations make successful transitions. Robbins is an active public speaker on the topic of senior transition services and has appeared on NBC's Today Show.
Independent living is in a retirement community. Senior apartments are just apartments with not much support and very little inter action. If you feel it is time for you to move from where you are living then I would suggest a retirement community so you don't have to move twice. This is, of course, predicated upon the fact that you have the funds to pay for that kind of space.