The Benefits of Downsizing for Seniors

 

Senior citizens should consider downsizing as they age and potentially have fewer people living in their homes, less responsibilities, and limited incomes. Downsizing can lead to happier days as well as safer nights. With less to manage, it may even create more freedom.

If you or your loved one are considering downsizing, but still value your independence, Alert1’s medical alarms don’t take up too much room in your home and medical alert systems allow seniors to live on their own with the peace of mind that help is always a button-push away.

If you or your loved one decide to move into a smaller home, you may have more time to do the activities you want to do. In a smaller home, there is less to clean, less to maintain and less room to store unwanted junk. Also, seniors have more free time to travel. If you or your loved one decide to downsize, you may have more money to travel and you may also worry less about what you are leaving behind because there is less to worry about in general.¹

Also, when someone downsizes, they are making their life’s maintenance more manageable. Downsizing doesn’t just mean moving to a smaller space to make life more manageable; it could also mean getting a less expensive car or no car at all, having a smaller yard to maintain, or even having less furniture to dust and clean. Even moving into a seniors-only housing development means not having to manage landscaping or snow removal.

Downsizing one’s living space frees up room and Alert1’s in-the-home medical alert system is small and unobtrusive, with a 600-foot range around the base that could potentially cover one’s whole home. For those desiring coverage outdoors as well as inside the home, the on-the-go medical alert gives that option and has an even smaller footprint. 

The real estate market is always changing and if the market is right, you or your loved one could make money by selling property and buying something more manageable and perhaps even more affordable. Also, if money is made on selling a home, that extra money can be used on travel, healthcare, or other activities and items that would have been more difficult to afford on a fixed-income.

Also, seniors may look into selling items such as their cars, because they seldom use them. Maybe you or your loved one had a large family car and would prefer a smaller car that is less expensive and uses less gas, and the insurance and maintenance is less expensive.

For those interested in value pricing for great services, Alert1 offers multiple payment plans for its medical alert systems. This is so you or your loved one can choose the service that best meets your needs for price and flexibility. Also, members are never locked into a multi-year contracts and have the option to pay monthly, if they so desire.

You or your loved one could also be looking into becoming snowbirds or moving to a place where the weather is pleasant year-round. A snowbird is someone who lives somewhere warm in the winter and someplace else the rest of the year. This is a reality for a lot of seniors because winter is harsh for a multitude of reasons like the cold and the dangers of falling. However, it could also save money to downsize in this way because you or your loved one could rent out your home or move to a warmer place all-year-round where seniors are the majority of the population so homes and home prices are geared toward accommodating the senior population.³

It doesn’t matter if you or your loved one call one or two places home, Alert1 is always there to help. With an on-the-go medical alert system with GPS and fall detection, you will have assistance at the press of a button no matter where you live, coast to coast. Our fall detection technology has sensors built-in to our devices which sense a fall and immediately send an emergency alert to our Call Center, where trained professionals are waiting to assist you. 

 Not only does downsizing help you or your loved one live an easier, less stressful life; it can also help the community. Any goods that are deemed unwanted such as appliances, furniture and other household items are always wanted and welcomed at local shelters, second hand shops, group homes, churches, schools and crisis centers.²  Sometimes family members could even use a hand-me-down, especially a grandchild who is moving into his own place for the first time.

 

Downsizing can be beneficial for a senior’s health (both mental and physical) and for the community. However, it should be a calculated decision and should not be done in a hurry. You or your loved one should weigh the pros and cons, talk to family and friends to get their opinions, and prepare for a different life than what you or your loved one previously lived. It is a completely personal decision, but could be one of the best retirement decisions you or your loved one make.

 

 

 

¹ Editorial Staff. (2021). Why Seniors Should Downsize. informedseniorliving.com. Why Seniors Should Downsize

² The Bridge at Ooltewah. (2020). 10 Reasons Why Downsizing is Beneficial for Seniors. seniordirectory.com. 10 Reasons Why Downsizing is Beneficial for Seniors

³ Lifestyle Editorial Staff. (2019, Nov. 6). 5 Reasons Why Seniors Should Downsize. medicareful.com. 5 Reasons Why Seniors Should Downsize