Successful Aging in Independent Living Communities

Many studies show that people that live in an Independent Living community age more successfully than their peers. This is due to a variety of factors.

Number one is physical activity.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Use it or lose it.” Most Independent Living residents enjoy a variety of wellness activities.  Here at Acacia Village, we offer yoga, Tai Chi, water fitness, line dancing and exercise with hand weights.  Our apartment wings are connected to the community center, so it’s easy to go for a walk any time of year and in any kind of weather.   When the weather is nice, people enjoy the walking trails on our beautiful over 400 acre campus.  Residents can enjoy a game of croquet or bocce ball or work on their golf swing at the driving range. We also have a wellness center with fitness equipment and an indoor pool, spa and sauna.

The second component is social interaction.

Communities like ours have the feel of a small town. Our residents seem to enjoy the fact that they can have their privacy but interact with others when they choose to.  Here, we have several clubs and groups that people can belong to including book club, art club and chorus.  Social gatherings can be attended weekly that bring people together for complimentary food and beverages.  We also have multiple rooms where residents can host small and large get-togethers.  Whether they want to host 15 people for dinner or host a large anniversary celebration, it’s easy to arrange that.

Number three is cognitive stimulation.

As in most communities, residents enjoy getting together for weekly trivia and card games. They enjoy thought-provoking on-site lectures, presentations and musical performances.  Several people enjoy putting jigsaw puzzles together or writing for our Acacia Village Voices community newsletter.  A wide variety of movies are shown in our movie theater and we have over 4 thousand books available in the library.  It all helps to keep the brain sharp. 

The final component for successful aging is spiritual fulfillment.

Spiritual fulfillment means different things to different people. For some, it’s the feeling that they get from spending time with people they care about and helping one another.  At Acacia Village, we have a neighbor’s care program where residents can opt in and have someone check to see if they’ve put their “I’m OK” door tag out each morning.  Some residents continue their volunteer work in the surrounding community and at the Health Pavilion on our campus.  We have a group that meets weekly for Bible study and discussion. We also offer transportation for worship services both here on our campus and to area churches.

Remaining independent as we age is the goal of successful aging and that requires good mental and physical health. Community living with the ability to make friends and share experiences while remaining active and engaged can help people have a better quality of life, not just added years.