How To Make YourSenior Living Apartment Feel Like Home
You’re ready for the next chapter of your retirement, but how do you make your new apartment feel like home from the start? Here are a few simple ways to ease the transition and bring your personal touches to your new apartment.
Tips For Settling Into a New Community
- Choose a community that makes you feel at home.
When looking at senior living communities, observe how the staff and residents interact with each other. Are they friendly? You’ll feel warmly welcomed and at ease if it’s the right fit. - Know community guidelines. It’s an important first step to look into any rules or recommendations your new community may have regarding changes to your apartment. If you know about restrictions beforehand, you can easily plan how to make your apartment as homey as possible.
- Choose what furniture to bring. Use our floor plans and square footage information to measure your furniture and determine the pieces that best fit in your new space. You can also decide if you need to purchase anything – many residents prioritize comfortable seating, storage pieces and multi-functional furniture when they downsize.
- Reflect your personality in your décor. It’s exciting to start with a blank slate. Be mindful, especially if you’re moving into a smaller space, to minimize the clutter. You’ll most likely need to pare down what you bring, so focus on items that reflect your personal style and unique decorations. Many residents bring familiar décor from their former home, while others choose a new theme or design – whatever makes you most happy and comfortable!
- Add photos and other memories. Every home needs sentimental touches to make it unique. Framed photos of your family, friends and memorable events will remind you of fond memories but also help jumpstart conversations with your new neighbors.
- Find opportunities to make new connections. Another way to feel at home in your new community is to get to know the people around you. Dine in common areas with other residents, join community activities and visit with neighbors. You’ll begin to find your bearings and become more comfortable.
- Stay in touch. When we move, we often miss the people, not necessarily places or things. It helps to welcome visitors once you get settled. This is a great opportunity to show them around the community and introduce them to your new friends and neighbors.
- Make new memories. Once you acclimate to your new community, you’ll make many new memories and share experiences with friends. You may create some new décor in art class, add new photos to your collection, or find a new hobby or interest. The more involved you become at your new home, the more at home you will feel.
Bringing Familiarity To Your New Home
It’s natural to feel a little uneasy as you settle into your new home, but the team at Park Creek is always here to do whatever it takes to help you feel welcomed and at ease. Once you’ve put these tips into action, it will only be a matter of time until living in your new, active, independent community feels just like home.