Senior Living
Independent senior living communities, also known as retirement communities, senior living communities or independent retirement communities, are housing designed for seniors 55 and older.
Independent senior living communities commonly provide apartments, but some also offer cottages, condominiums, and single-family homes. Residents are seniors who do not require assistance with daily activities or 24/7 skilled nursing but may benefit from convenient services, senior-friendly surroundings, and increased social opportunities that independent senior living communities offer.[1]
Independent senior living communities are also popular among snowbird seniors who wish to downsize or travel freely without the burden of managing a home.
Many retirement communities offer dining services, basic housekeeping and laundry services, transportation to appointments and errands, activities, social programs, and access to exercise equipment. Some also offer emergency alert systems, live-in managers, and amenities like pools, spas, clubhouses, and on-site beauty and barber salons.
Independent senior living properties do not provide health care or assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as medication, bathing, eating, dressing, toileting and more.[2] Independent senior living differs from continuing care communities, which offer independent living along with multiple other levels of care, such as assisted living and skilled nursing, in one single residence.[3]
Independent senior living residents are permitted to use third-party home health care services to meet additional needs.
The total operational resident capacity for independent senior living communities in the United States is 245,000.[4] Holiday Retirement is the largest single provider of independent living with a resident capacity of 40,440[5] at 315 retirement communities throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Types
- Senior Apartments: Most common type of independent senior living. Services usually include recreational programs, transportation, and meals service.
- Housing Units: Senior communities that offer single-family homes, duplexes, mobile homes, townhouses, cottages, or condominiums. Some communities are tied to an adjoining, apartment-style independent senior living community. Residents may have the option to rent or buy.
- Continuing Care: Communities that provide access to independent living communities, as well as assisted living and skilled nursing. Residents can transfer among levels of care as needs change. Some CCRCs also provide memory care facilities.
- Subsidized Housing: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides communities for low-income seniors. Subsidized communities usually adhere to strict criteria and may have lengthy waiting lists.
- Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC): A community that has a large population of senior residents but was not originally designed for seniors. These evolve naturally as people age-in-place over time or migrate into the same area. They are not created to meet the needs of seniors.
Coral Springs
Coral Springs, officially the City of Coral Springs, is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States, approximately 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Fort Lauderdale. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 121,096.[5] It is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,012,331 people at the 2015 census.
The city, officially chartered on July 10, 1963, was master-planned and primarily developed by WCI Communities, then known as Coral Ridge Properties, a division of Westinghouse. The city’s name is derived from the company’s name, and was selected after several earlier proposals had been considered and rejected.[6] Despite the name, there are no springs in the city; Florida’s springs are found in the central and northern portions of the state.[7]
During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s the young city grew rapidly, adding over 35,000 residents each decade. Coral Springs has notably strict building codes, which are designed to maintain the city’s distinctive aesthetic appeal. The city government’s effective fiscal management has maintained high bond ratings, and the city has won accolades for its overall livability, its low crime rate, and its family-friendly orientation.
Coral Springs is a planned community. Prior to its incorporation as a city in July 1963, the area which is now Coral Springs was part of 20,000 acres (81 km2) of marshy lands bought by Henry Lyons between 1911 and 1939. After several floods in 1947, Florida created the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control District (now the South Florida Water Management District). Canals and levees drained much of the area upon which Coral Springs was built. After the land was drained and cleared, most of the area was used as a bean farm. After Lyons’ death in 1952, his heirs changed the focus to cattle.[8]
A post-World War II real estate boom in South Florida attracted the interest of developers. Coral Ridge Properties, which already had several developments in Broward County, bought 3,869 acres (16 km2) of land from the Lyons family on December 14, 1961 for $1 million.[6]The City of Coral Springs was chartered on July 10, 1963. Other names that were considered for the new city included “Curran Village,” “Pompano Springs” and “Quartermore”. By 1964, the company had developed a master plan for a city of 50,000 residents. On July 22, 1964, the first sale of 536 building lots netted $1.6 million. The landmark covered bridge was built that same year to promote the town. In 1965, Coral Ridge Properties bought an additional 6,000 acres (24 km2) from the Lyons family, increasing the city’s land area to 16 square miles (41 km2). The first city government elections were held in 1967.