home is where you make it

by Margaret Kleinmann

After spending over thirty years working directly with our senior population in Western New York, there is one thing that is absolute that I have learned firsthand – home is where you make it!

Each of us has a sense of home. It is where we feel most safe, most appreciated, most comfortable, most able to be our true selves. No matter the season, no matter the place on our globe, no matter where the rest of the world finds itself, home is the place people around you treat you with respect, like you for who you are and where everyone treats you like family.

As we age, treasuring that feeling of home becomes more and more important to us. Our safety and security are paramount. Equally important are experiencing a feeling of serenity, togetherness and moments of joyful reminiscence. The enjoyment of familiar personal belongings become soothing, and a representation of where we have been and what we have accomplished throughout our lives. Our surroundings become more special, our environment becomes more familiar. Relationships forged and reflections of the past become a priority.

For many aging brings liberation – a feeling that we have finally arrived! The daily grind of getting to the place we’re most comfortable is over. Many goals have hopefully been met, and the hurry of a fast paced life calms down as we stop to smell the roses and truly enjoy what is around us. Different than middle-agers, seniors can finally live in the present, and enjoy the now that took so many hard earned hours to accomplish.

Finding that earned sense of home should be at the top of everyone’s lists when you are looking to an adventure in moving to a retirement community. Take your time to investigate where you feel most at home. Observe how friendly people are, look for the environment that feels most like what home means to you at this time in your life. Talk to the people who have found and chosen the community they can call their true home.

Most retirement communities offer the same amenities and services. These include housekeeping, delicious meals, laundry services, maintenance of the property, spa and beauty salons, stimulating activities and, most importantly, fun entertainment enjoyed with people you have the same things in common with. But what sets these communities apart from one another isn’t what one might think. It is not financial, it is not the color of the furniture, nor is it the size of the spaces in the apartments or units. It is the sense of home – where you feel right where you belong and where you wish you had been even before walking in.

About the Author:
Margaret Kleinmann, M.S. is Executive Director of Amberleigh Retirement Community. She encourages everyone to visit Amberleigh at 2330 Maple Road in Williamville. Call 716-689-4155 to schedule a private tour. Learn more at capitalsenior.com/theamberleigh.