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Cedar Community: Life the way it should be. The way you want it.

Living retirement years within a Retirement Community is getting more and more common! Retirement Community living has definite and unique benefits (i.e. safety, security, activities, services, social events, etc.) that are attracting greater numbers of retirees and getting the attention of early Boomers, just now starting to discover what life might be like in such a community.

As a very large Retirement Community, we daily see how most retiree residents have adjusted well and seem to thrive in a healthy atmosphere with activity and friends seemingly everywhere. But a positive adjustment to life in a Retirement Community comes at a different pace for every individual resident. While some seem to pick right up and stay active and happy in whatever environment they live in others seem to struggle for a while.

We have found that there are ‘keys’ to making a successful and speedy adjustment to living in a Retirement Community. They are:

o Prior to moving to a Retirement Community talk to others who live in such a community and find out how they made the transition. Have in mind a ‘model’ of success and create a personalized plan.
o Immediately, meet the neighbors! Get to know them by their first names. Always be friendly and reach out to help others without expecting them to come to you.
o Get to know the ‘layout’ of the facility and grounds. Get to feel comfortable with the community and the services and amenities it offers.
o Visit the community administrators/managers. Get to know them and share your compliments and concerns with openness and candor.
o Sign up for activities! Again . . . Sign up for activities! Try something new and learn a new hobby, activity or develop a new skill. This is a great time to ‘spread your wings’ and learn to appreciate things you’ve never attempted before.
o Invite others to join in and don’t just expect others to invite you.
o Keep a sense of humor! There will be ‘awkward’ moments when moving to a new community, expect them! Find the humor that life offers! Its there!
o Remember, while you live in a Retirement Community, it is part of a larger community. Discover the village, town or city you now live in and partake in all it has to offer.
o Volunteer! It’s a really good way to help others while making friends and using your time wisely!

Statistics and actuarial tables indicate that people who successful reside in Retirement Communities actually live longer that those who don’t! Use these KEYS to make your transition a good one!

Baby Boomers, according to a Merrill Lynch Global Study, don’t really want to ever stop working, even well into their retirement years. . . they just want to ‘slow down!

When Baby Boomers (those born between the years of 1946 to 1964) were asked to describe an ‘ideal’ retirement, the majority said that the ideal would be the ability to ‘cycle’ between work and liesure!

Amazingly just 1% of those surveyed said that they NEVER plan to work again, once retired!

Other interesting results when researchers forcuses on seniors were:

Pew Research asked Baby Boomers whether or not religion matters in their lives. The interesting result showed that as people age, religion grows in importance. 70% of those aged 75+ years indicated that religion was very important to them. Only 44% of those between the ages of 18 to 29 years said that religion was important to them!

The same researchers sought to find out how unhappy people were. Of the young (ages 18-29) 15% said they were unhappy. Of those 75+ years old, 19% said they were unhappy! Very little variation here!

When older Americans were asked to document the Top 10 things they do with their time on a typical day, the results were quite interesting. Here they are:

#1 Talk with family/friends
#2 Read! (books, magazines, newpapers)
#3 Take prescription medications
#4 Watch TV (more than 1 hour per day)
#5 Pray
#6 Drive their car
#7 Work on a hobby
#8 Take a nap
#9 Go shopping
#10 Use the Internet

Finally, researchers asked what Baby Boomers preferred in their lifestyle. They responded in these four categories:

1) Accessories: They like convenient gadgets; family photos; comfortable clothing; and pill organizers.

2) Milestones: Retirement; Furthering their education; great – grand children; and their Medicare card.

3) Hangouts: Diners/coffee shops; stores; senior and community centers; and the homes of family and friends

4) Wellness Trends: Eat locally grown produce; Wii fitness activities; ‘Walkable’ communities

Cedar Community is joining with the National Council of Senior Citizens in celebrating MAY as Senior Citizens Month. Here are some interesting statistics regarding the impact of Senior Citizens in this nation!
History of Senior Citizen’s Month: (Statistics were compliled by the US Census Department.)
A meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens resulted in President John F. Kennedy designating May 1963 as Senior Citizens Month, encouraging the nation to pay tribute in some way to older people across the country. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter’s proclamation changed the name to Older Americans Month, a time to celebrate those 65 and older through ceremonies, events and public recognition.
39.6 million
The number of people 65 and older in the United States on July 1, 2009. This age group accounted for 13 percent of the total population. Between 2008 and 2009, this age group increased by 770,699 people.

88.5 million
Projected population of people 65 and older in 2050. People in this age group would comprise 20 percent of the total population at that time.

545 million
Projected 2011 midyear world population 65 and older. Projections indicate the number will increase to 1.55 billion by 2050. The percentage of the world’s population 65 and older would increase from about 8 percent to about 17 percent over the period.

35
The projected number of people 65 and older to every 100 people of traditional working ages (ages 20 to 64) in 2030, up from 22 in 2010. This time period coincides with the time when baby boomers are moving into the 65 and older age category. (The figures for 2010 are not census counts.)

42%
The percentage of the 65 and older population expected to be a minority – i.e., a group other than single race, non-Hispanic white – in 2050, more than double the percentage in 2010 (20 percent). Likewise, among those 85 and older, 33 percent are projected to be a minority in 2050, up from 15 percent in 2010. (The figures for 2010 are not census counts.)

Income and Wealth:
$31,354
Median 2009 income of households with householders 65 and older, up 5.8 percent, in real terms, from the previous year. The corresponding median for all households was $49,777.

8.9%
Poverty rate for people 65 and older in 2009, down from 9.7 percent in 2008. There were 3.4 million seniors in poverty in 2009, down from 3.7 million the previous year. The corresponding rate for the population as a whole was 14.3 percent.

Serving Our Nation:
9.0 million
Estimated number of people 65 and older who were veterans of the armed forces in 2009.

Jobs
6.5 million
Number of people 65 and older who were in the labor force in 2009. Projections indicate that by 2018, the number will reach 11.1 million.

55%
The percentage who worked full-time among people 65 and older who were employed in 2009.

42%
The percentage working in management, professional and related occupations among employed people 65 and older.

16%
Percentage of people 65 and older in the labor force in 2009.

Education:
77%
Proportion of people 65 and older in 2009 who had completed high school or higher education.

20%
Percentage of the population 65 and older in 2009 who had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Marital Status and Living Arrangements
56%
Percentage of people 65 and older who were married in 2010.

28%
Percentage of people 65 and older in 2010 who were widowed.

66%
Percentage of people 65 and older in households in 2009 who lived with relatives. Twenty-seven percent of all people this age lived alone, while 5 percent lived in group quarters and 2 percent in a household with nonrelatives.

Voting:
70%
Percentage of citizens 65 and older reporting casting a ballot in the 2008 presidential election. Along with those 45 to 64, people 65 and older had the highest turnout rate of any age group.
Source
Homeownership:
81%
Percentage of householders 65 and older who owned their homes as of 4th quarter 2010.

Nation:
74
The number of men 65 and older on July 1, 2009, for every 100 women in this age group. For those 85 and older, it drops to 46 men per 100 women.

5.6 million
The number of people 85 and older in the United States on July 1, 2009.

71,991
Estimated number of centenarians in the United States on Dec. 1, 2010.