If you’re a senior in Cincinnati, how do you know when you’re ready to relax and enjoy active senior living in a retirement community?

What are your options for retirement living? Should you opt to downsize and move into a senior apartment community, or make a go of aging in place in your own home?

Although aging in place has been a popular trend over the past several years, downsizing and moving into a senior community certainly comes with advantages.

People living in premier senior living communities like Deupree House have their own, private apartment homes. They socialize with people their own age. They participate in fun activities and group outings. Many keep their personal vehicles and come and go as they please.

If an easier-going retirement lifestyle interests you, how do you know when the time is right to make the move? This quiz will help you decide if you’re ready to move into a senior community.

Add up your answer scores at the end to find out if a move to a retirement community would benefit you today, or if it’s something to keep in mind for the future.

1. Are you struggling with landscaping and home maintenance?

4 – My health makes yardwork and do-it-yourself home repairs difficult to impossible for me to accomplish on my own.

3 – I could do my own yardwork and home maintenance, but it hurts my back and knees so I generally just pay someone else to do it.

2 – Yardwork and home maintenance aren’t my favorite chores, but my health is good and I can manage.

1 – I live to mow my own grass. I enjoy the sense of accomplishment.

2. What’s the relation of your home’s value to your property taxes?

4 – My home’s value is rising faster than my income and my taxes are going up too.

3 – Property taxes are manageable, but they’re eating into my discretionary income.

2 – My home’s value is stable or falling. My property taxes aren’t rising and I can keep up with them.

1 – I don’t pay property taxes, or they’re very easy to manage.

3. Are you able to keep up with the costs of home repairs and renovations?

4 – I’ve had to make some hard decisions this year to make ends meet and save money.

3 – I can keep up, but projects keep piling up and I’m worried I might have to dip into my nest egg to stay current.

2 – These costs are a necessary annoyance, but I manage them just fine.

1 – This is not a concern.

4. What are your health insurance premiums like?

4 – I’m in my early 60s, not yet eligible for Medicare and my individual policy premium is exorbitant. I may need to save money in other areas just to maintain my coverage.

3 – I’m able to manage my premiums and out-of-pocket costs if I avoid spending on extras.

2 – I’m on Medicare, or counting down the days until I’m eligible. But I’m getting by all right on my current health plan.

1 – I’m still working, or otherwise have amazing health coverage and can easily afford the premiums.

5. How’s your health?

4 – The tasks of everyday living — bathing, using the restroom, dressing, cooking and cleaning, taking my medicines, and remembering to pay my bills — are very difficult for me to manage on my own.

3 – I’m having more trouble remembering things, feel unsteady on my feet, deal with moderate to severe chronic pain every day, and/or worry a lot about what would happen if I fell.

2 – I can tell I’m getting a little older, but I manage just fine on my own.

1 – I exercise every day, have a clean bill of health from my doctor and feel like I’m 40.

6. Are you lonely?

4 – I spend most days in my chair, watching TV. My family lives out of town. My grandchildren aren’t so great about calling regularly. Most of my friends and former colleagues have passed on. Yes, I’m lonely.

3 – I go the grocery, my doctor’s appointments and such. Once in awhile, I go out and do something I enjoy. But most days, I just hang around the house. Retirement is boring.

2 – Live is quieter in retirement. I don’t see a lot of people or do much, but I’m not lonely. I enjoy solitude.

1 – I’m always going here or there. I see my friends regularly. I run errands. I shop. I go to ballgames. I travel. I see my kids and grandkids every other week or so. Who said retirement living is slower-paced?

What was your total score?

• 6 – 11: You’re probably doing just fine on your own. Maybe you’d enjoy having fewer bills to manage but, on the whole, a move to a retirement community isn’t necessary right now. Aging in place is working for you.
• 12 – 17: Aging in place is manageable right now, but a move to a retirement community might simplify a few things and give you a little extra help in maintaining your independence. If not now, it’s something to think about. Click here to download this free Decision Guide for Older Adults, to get a little more clarity on the subject. Consider visiting some of the senior communities around Cincinnati to see which ones you might entrust with your care when the time is right for a move.
• 18 – 21: A move to a senior living community like Deupree House could probably help you to enjoy your retirement more fully. It might even help you cut some costs and simplify your daily life. It’ll certainly give you more opportunities to meet new people, stay active and fit, and have fun. You’ll worry less, and so will your loved ones, if you’re living in a community where help is always available right away, when and if you need it.
• 22 – 24: It’s time. You need more help with day-to-day living. It’s OK! We all do at some point in our lives. You need to see friendly, familiar people everyday — people who care about your well-being and who will treat you with the respect and dignity you deserve.

Have you seen Deupree House? Here you’ll find person-centered, dignified care, in a luxury setting.

We’re located in Cincinnati’s premier Hyde Park neighborhood, close to major shopping areas, many cultural attractions and some of Hamilton County’s most beautiful parks. Our grounds are immaculate, with a gorgeous new walking trail and gazebo, flower beds and community gardens.

And we have a full range of amenities for you to enjoy — amazing cuisine, a state-of-the-art fitness and wellness center, indoor pool, game and movie nights, a lending library, resident-led interest groups, volunteer opportunities, group outings, free transportation and more.

Schedule your Deupree House tour today. We’d love an opportunity to show you and your family what premier senior living means in the Tristate.