Moving to a CCRC At a Younger Age Can Make Sense

Among the many joys I find in working at myLifeSite are the opportunities I get to meet and talk with fascinating people across this country. While recently speaking at La Vida Llena, a life plan retirement community in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I met a gentleman named Don. He and his wife, Glyndon, moved into La Vida Llena when they were both in their early 60s — and they have loved living there ever since.

Speaking with Don was particularly fascinating to me since older adults so commonly say they feel “too young” to move to a CCRC or other type of retirement community. I also often hear people explain that they aren’t yet ready to move to a retirement community because they “don’t want to be around a bunch of old people.” Don and Glyndon, however, moved to La Vida Llena well-below the average move-in age for most CCRCs — which is usually in people’s late 70s or early 80s.

I asked Don and Glyndon (pictured) if we could share some of their thoughts on the emotional and psychological factors that contributed to their decision to move to a CCRC while still in their early 60s. Their reasoning offered numerous insights, which could be of value not only to other retirement community prospects but also to the broader senior living industry.

Age is not a factor: The perks of an earlier move

When Don retired at age 55, he was mindful of his family health history. He had a grandfather who died at just 54, while his father and brother both died at age 70. Glyndon’s family, on the other hand, boasts longevity with a great-grandfather who lived to be 103, a grandfather who was 100+, and her father just recently passing away at 92.

With these opposing genetic backgrounds, the couple didn’t experience a sense that they weren’t “old enough” for a retirement community. On the contrary, Don felt some sense of urgency to get them moved into a CCRC at a younger age — just 62. The move ensured that Glyndon would have a nearby community of supportive friends, as well as life care options, if she were left alone.

Additionally, there was the allure of a CCRC’s carefree lifestyle. Don and Glyndon are long-haul motorcyclists who might ride 4,000 miles in three weeks. They were eager to enjoy the security and no-maintenance home a CCRC offers so they could travel at will for extended periods of time. All they have to do is close their front door, inform the front desk staff, and hit the road!

Wisdom and joy found by living among older neighbors

Don and Glyndon don’t have any children, so they often gravitated to older couples as their close friends. They always noted that these older couples had more freedom for traveling and spur of the moment activities than younger ones, who were often busy raising children. As a result, Don and Glyndon do feel quite comfortable and “at home” living within this aging population of CCRC neighbors, many of whom are older — some of whom are much older. They truly feel that age is just a number.

Glyndon shared an example: In the couple’s early years at La Vida Llena, Glyndon was photographing a Mardi Gras event where several women dressed in beaded gowns and carried fancy parasols. They paraded around to lively music and entertained residents in the common areas for several hours.

By late afternoon, one of these parading revelers seemed weary as she enjoyed Cajun food at the Mardi Gras party. The woman said she wondered if at age 93, maybe it was time to let the younger folks do the parading! But truth be told: Glyndon, who was 30 years younger than the tired reveler, also felt exhausted from being their “paparazzi” all day!

>> Related: Can You Catch the “Old Disease”?

A different aging mindset

Both Don and Glyndon see the value of not only moving to a lifeplan retirement community but moving at a younger age. There are several factors that contribute to their mindset.

For one, Glyndon is a third-generation CCRC resident. Her grandparents lived in a lifecare retirement community in Carol Stream, Illinois for 25 years; her parents were in a lifecare community in Wilmore, Kentucky for 12 years. Through these family members’ experiences, Glyndon saw first-hand how CCRCs function. And what’s more, she had peace of mind knowing her loved ones were safe, well-cared for, and happy in their final years.

But there is another important influence that guided their decision to move to a CCRC and live among older adults. As Christians, Don and Glyndon have always felt called to serve the less fortunate within society.

Don spends many hours in the La Vida Llena woodshop repairing or building things to make elderly people’s lives better. For her part, Glyndon compiles and circulates a monthly Prayer Letter to the retirement community’s 125+ residents, staff, and employees. Don and Glyndon believe such acts of service not only develop stronger community bonds, they encourage neighbors to be more aware of and involved with the frailest residents on the La Vida Llena campus.

A sensible senior living decision

Speaking with Don and learning about the experience he and Glyndon have had at La Vida Llena was both refreshing and eye-opening. While their decision to move to a lifeplan community at a relatively young age is somewhat unusual, what was perhaps even more unique, based on what we commonly hear from CCRC prospects, was their reason for doing so.

Don and Glyndon have a practical aging mindset, blended with an altruistic viewpoint on their responsibilities toward their fellow humans. It is a kind, neighborly philosophy on life to which we should all aspire.

Photo courtesy Don and Glyndon

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