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Preparing for retirement is a financial endeavor and an emotional journey. As you approach this new chapter in life, it is essential to understand and address the emotional stages that come with it. Whether you are feeling anxious, excited, or unsure about retirement, finding the right community can make all the difference. Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago can support you through this transition.

Understanding the Emotional Stages of Retirement

Much like other significant life transitions, retirement is marked by a series of distinctive emotional stages, each with its unique feelings and challenges.

Pre-Retirement Phase

This period is typically flooded with a mixture of eagerness for the freedom that retirement promises and anxiety about the uncertainties that it presents. During this stage, you may find yourself frequently fantasizing about your post-retirement life while simultaneously fretting about financial stability and maintaining a sense of purpose without your professional identity.

It's essential to start visualizing your life after retirement and devising a plan to maintain a sense of purpose and connection post-retirement. Identifying support systems, interests, or hobbies can provide a fulfilling focus beyond your work life, helping to alleviate some of this stage's stress.

Transition Phase

This stage often brings an emotional roller-coaster, ranging from relief and exhilaration to concern and sadness, as you grapple with the realities of your new life stage. Adjusting to the sudden abundance of free time and the absence of work relationships and routines can make this period particularly challenging.

Applying coping strategies during this stage is paramount. These can involve leaning on your support systems, seeking professional guidance, establishing new routines, and engaging in activities that provide you with a sense of fulfillment and joy.

Post-Retirement Phase

This stage can trigger feelings of loss, specifically the loss of work identity and structure. It's common to question your role and purpose during this stage as you navigate your identity outside of your professional life.

This stage also signals the start of a new chapter filled with undiscovered opportunities and lifestyle changes. Embracing this stage as a chance to pursue passions, hobbies, and connections that were previously sidelined due to work commitments.

Coping Strategies for Emotional Preparation

As you're mentally preparing for retirement, developing emotional coping strategies can help you adapt to these stages more comfortably and enjoy a fulfilling retirement.

Seeking Social Connections and Community Engagement

A strong social network offers emotional support, maintains a sense of purpose, and contributes to a happier, healthier retirement. You should connect with friends and family and make an effort to meet new people. Join social clubs, participate in community events, or volunteer in local organizations. This not only makes your retirement more enjoyable but also contributes significantly to your emotional well-being.

Exploring Hobbies and Meaningful Activities

Retirement presents a great opportunity to engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Spending time on hobbies, physical activities, and intellectual pursuits not only keeps you active but mentally stimulated, too. Whether it's gardening, painting, reading, hiking, or traveling, finding how to best utilize your free time can greatly ease your transition into retirement and enhance your emotional health.

Accessing Emotional Support and Counseling Services

Emotional support is an essential component of preparing for retirement emotionally. Professional counseling or therapy can be hugely beneficial in managing the emotional challenges associated with retirement. Likewise, joining a support group or talking to someone who's already navigated the journey can offer unique insights and coping strategies.

Community Activities and Engagement Opportunities

Community engagement is crucial in achieving emotional wellness during retirement and fostering a strong sense of community and belonging. Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago organizes a variety of activities that promote social interaction and engagement.

From group fitness classes and volunteer opportunities to hobby clubs and social events, there's always something exciting happening at Montgomery Place. By providing these opportunities, we aim to help residents maintain their social connections, discover new interests, and derive a sense of purpose beyond their professional lives.

We invite you to contact Montgomery Place for more information on emotional preparation for retirement. Embrace your retirement journey with confidence and positivity. Find your Level of Care today and call us at (773) 753-4100 to learn more

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Nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago, also known as the Windy City, offers a rich history, a variety of museums, eye-catching architecture, and so much more. Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago encourages residents to get out there and discover all the wonders the city has to offer and go further afield for some great day trips. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Senior-Friendly Chicago City Tours

Chicago welcomes visitors from around the country and the world. There is a tour for everyone, no matter their age or interests. Check out these senior-friendly tours:

Classic Chicago City Tour

A classic tour of the city hits all the highlights, including Willis Tower, Millennium Park, Navy Pier, and a boat tour. The tour includes comfortable transportation and guided commentary, so you learn more about the history of the Windy City and these sites in particular. Each stop offers easy access if mobility is an issue.

Chicago Museum Tours

Featuring the Art Institute, Field Museum, and Science and Industry Museum, the Chicago museum tour has a stop for every interest from Van Gogh to natural history. These guided tours often offer a senior discount to save you money, and the museums offer wheelchair access.

Chicago Historic Neighborhoods Tours

From the gorgeous Victorian-era buildings of Old Town to the cultural significance of Bronzeville, a historic neighborhood tour of Chicago is a great way to get acquainted with the city. While there are short walks through these historic neighborhoods, there are also frequent rest stops for you to take in the history and beauty.

Cultural Food Tours

Enjoy mouthwatering favorites in Little Italy, Pilsen, and Chinatown while taking a cultural food tour in Chicago. Food tours feature small groups and seated tasting, so you don't feel rushed. The gentle pace of the tour makes for a relaxing and tasty afternoon.

Easy Local Day Trips Near Chicago

When you're ready to hit the road and get away from the city for the day, you'll find some great destinations that are close enough to visit in a day. Here's a look at a few local favorites:

North Shore, Illinois

You can enjoy captivating scenery as you drive along the North Shore area. While making a day trip to the North Shore area, you can stop at Evanston, Northwestern University, and Baha'i Temple to indulge in a little sightseeing without much walking to take them in.

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Less than a two-hour drive from Chicago, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, is a popular day trip from the Windy City. You enjoy the views as you drive along the lake and take a tour or two of the charming estates that dot the area. You'll find plenty of leisure activities to make your day even better.

Practical Tips for Senior Travelers

You'll find that getting around Chicago is easy, and there always seems to be something new around every corner. The Windy City is welcoming to seniors. Check out these tips for senior travelers:

• Stay hydrated

• Wear comfortable clothing

• Consider any medical concerns

• Senior discounts for transportation and entry to museums and other attractions

• Ride-sharing

• Tour buses

• Reserve tours

Whether you're spending a weekend or calling it home, Chicago is a wonderful destination.

Explore Around Chicago and Call it Home Today

If you're ready to make a move to enjoy your retirement years, Chicago has a lot to offer, from museums featuring art, nature, and more to restaurants that make the mouth water. Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago would love for you to find a home with us.

Contact us Today.

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Deciding on a gift for someone living with dementia can be a bit of a challenge. You want to give your loved one something they will enjoy, but it can be difficult to think of things that are appropriate for changing abilities.

This guide from Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago will give you gift ideas for those in the early, middle, and late stages of dementia.

What to Know When Choosing Gifts for a Loved One with Dementia

No matter the stage or type of dementia your loved one is experiencing, you want to choose a gift that will bring joy while supporting their quality of life. These gifting guidelines should help make shopping for the right gift easier.

• Be respectful: Select gifts that are age-appropriate. Someone diagnosed with dementia would most likely be offended if given something geared toward a child. An easy-to-care-for plant or a blanket.

• Consider lifelong interests: Think about the hobbies, careers, or specific interests your loved one had prior to the onset of dementia. Someone who enjoyed going to football games would be thrilled to receive a signed ball.

• Focus on engagement: Gifts that prompt interaction provide your loved one with an activity and have therapeutic value. Sensory stimulation in the form of a visual, tactile, or auditory experience may help activate memory or improve cognition for some who have Alzheimer's disease. A music player with headphones, puzzles, or a digital photo frame are good gift ideas to consider.

Before shopping, check with other family members or caregivers to learn more about current interests. This will help ensure that your gift is well received.

Gift Ideas Depending on the Stage of Dementia

At any stage of dementia, a gift that brings your loved one enjoyment is the goal. A stage-appropriate gift will be safe and easy to use. 

Early-stage dementia

In early-stage dementia, cognitive impairment is usually mild. At this point, gifts can be similar to what they were given in the past. Consider asking your loved one for a suggestion, because it's not too late to get feedback on passions they have right now. A scrapbook or memory book that you put together yourself can bring hours of enjoyment and a connection to fun times as the memory begins to fade.

Middle-stage dementia

As symptoms become more pronounced, gifts should begin to focus on safety, navigating living space, and minimizing disruption. An easy-to-see clock with time, date, and day of the week is helpful, as is a talking alarm clock that can remind your loved one to take medication. Motion-detecting night lights can help with orientation and avoiding falls.

Late-stage dementia

As dementia becomes advanced, gift selection can be more difficult. Gifts that provide sensory stimulation, such as adult coloring books, robotic pets, and fidget toys, can offer hours of entertainment and comfort. 

Time spent with your loved one is a gift that will be appreciated at any stage. Watching a movie together or sitting outdoors in nature can be excellent for both of you. 

The Gift of Security

Keeping your loved one safe and secure during the changing stages of dementia is one of the best gifts you can give.

Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago offers four levels of care, creating a social and stress-free environment for adults who need varying degrees of assistance. Our memory care services ensure a dignified lifestyle, prioritizing safety, mobility, and happiness for you or your loved one.

Contact us today for more information or to schedule a tour.

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Chicago is filled with fun things to do for people of all ages. Museums, tours, music, shows, and great restaurants are what the city is known for.

To keep your grandchildren entertained in the Windy City, you have a variety of options. Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago here to show you some of the best Chicago has to offer.

Museums to Visit

Chicago has some of the most interesting museums in the world. When you live here, you can take your grandkids to several of them to learn about art, animals, the ocean, the history of the city, and a whole lot more.

Chicago Children's Museum

Interactive exhibits such as Treehouse Trails, WaterWays, and Dinosaur Expedition let children crawl, stretch out, and use all five senses at the Chicago Children's Museum. Located on Chicago's scenic lakefront, it is a goldmine of family-friendly things to do and see.

Shedd Aquarium

Kids can explore underwater worlds from across the globe at Shedd Aquarium. Behind-the-scenes tours and extraordinary animal encounters are just part of the fun.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

With exhibits that are sure to thrill young visitors and grown-ups alike, the Peggy Notebaert Museum features native animals, nature-inspired art, toddler-friendly play spaces, and an exotic butterfly house. Located on the grounds of Lincoln Park, kids can run and play among shady trees, blossoming flowers, and wildlife.

Lincoln Park Zoo

One of the nation's oldest zoos, Lincoln Park Zoo, is free to the public. Kids can enjoy an old-school carousel, locomotive rides, and the Farm in the Zoo next door. Here children have the chance to pet goats, ponies, and cows to experience a little country life in the city.

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

The largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, houses a real-life U-boat, spinning tornadoes, plains, trains, and much, much more. Screenings take place in the five-story, wrap-around Giant Dome Theater.

Activities to Participate In

Chicago offers numerous indoor and outdoor activities that you can participate in with your grandkids.

Urban Adventure Quest

Urban Adventure Quest is a family-friendly scavenger hunt. The competition involves solving clues and completing challenges while learning about Chicago's local history.

Skydeck Chicago

At Skydeck Chicago, you can walk on air. Located in one of the tallest buildings in the world, Willis Tower, it features glass boxes that extend approximately four feet from the skyscraper's facade, over 1,300 feet above ground level.

Maggie Daley Park

Situated in the heart of downtown, Maggie Daley Park is one of Chicago's newest spectacular green spaces. This magical place is home to a Skating Ribbon, a mini golf course, a climbing wall, and a three-acre Play Garden created in the spirit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland.

Indoor Skydiving

For teen and tween grandchildren, IFLY is the ultimate indoor body-lift experience. It's like skydiving without the sky.

Having a Family Meal in Chicago

Chicago has many family-friendly dining experiences that cater to little ones. Little Goat Diner serves a crowd-pleasing menu of burgers, salads, sandwiches, and shareable snacks, plus a separate kids' menu with mini-dogs, waffles, and more. Gino's East is a deep-dish pizzeria that lets kids write and draw on the graffiti wall to keep them busy before the food arrives. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba is a classic Chicago tapas restaurant offering the opportunity to expand youngsters' palates with easy-to-eat Spanish cuisine.

Experience the Neighborhood

When you live in Hyde Park, your grandchildren will love coming over for a visit. With all the things to do and see in Chicago, you'll always have fun places to visit with them.

Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago offers lakefront senior living with numerous amenities in an enviable neighborhood.

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The decision to transition to assisted living is a tough one. You or your loved one may want to maintain independence, but help is needed with daily tasks like preparing meals, shopping, and managing medication.

Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago is here to go over how assisted living can help increase the quality of life for older adults who need some level of personal assistance. Let's explore the key benefits.

A Supportive and Caring Community Environment

The goal of assisted living is to nurture. Residents of Montgomery Place receive the support required to get on with the business of living while enjoying a caring environment. The community aspect can be compared to a warm embrace complete with friendly faces, conversation, and a helping hand that is always nearby when needed.

Montgomery Place is not just a home where residents are looked after; it's a community where older adults are treated with dignity and respect and encouraged to enjoy life.

Social Opportunities and Activities

It is essential to remain active beyond retirement. Loneliness and isolation can take a toll on physical, mental, and cognitive health, thus leading to early decline.

One of the best things about assisted living at Montgomery Place is the opportunity it offers to socialize and stay active. Residents can join clubs, take classes, hear concerts, and attend lectures all within the community. No more boredom or being overwhelmed by too much free time. Older adults get to pursue passions, pick up new hobbies, and make new friends.

Relief for Family Caregivers

Caring for an older family member is a huge responsibility that can be both physically and emotionally demanding. At some point, family caregivers may not be able to continue to provide the level of support needed. Assisted living at Montgomery Place offers relief for family caregivers while ensuring the loved one's safety and well-being. By taking on some of the responsibilities, stress is reduced so that caregivers can maintain healthy relationships with their loved ones.

Enhanced Quality of Life for Residents

Montgomery Place fosters independence, social connection, and well-being. This ultimately leads to a richer, more fulfilling life for older adults.

Quality of life enhancements for residents include:

Amenities

To keep residents engaged, amenities such as an indoor swimming pool, a fitness area, a library, and an art studio are located on the grounds of Montgomery Place. Seniors can stay fit, learn new things, and have fun without having to leave the property.

Reduced Stress and Burden

Montgomery Place offers different levels of care. Daily chores like cooking and cleaning are attended to, with additional services being provided as needed. This takes the stress off residents while easing the worry of being a burden to others.

Enhanced Safety and Security

Montgomery Place provides staff presence and emergency call systems 24/7. A well-maintained environment minimizes the risk of falls and accidents and makes it easier for residents to be mobile. This provides peace of mind for seniors and their families.

Assisted Living in Chicago, IL

Located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago is one of the city's preeminent assisted living communities. We offer several levels of care options tailored to the individual to provide the highest quality of life for our residents.

Take a drone-guided virtual tour to experience both the community and the surrounding neighborhood, or contact us for an in-person visit.

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As we become older, staying active becomes even more important for maintaining independence and good health. A fitness tracker can help seniors stay motivated to keep moving in order to boost their well-being.

Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago is here to help you look at the benefits related to seniors tracking their fitness, along with a few suggestions for exercise.

Why Fitness Tracking Matters

Physical activity and regular exercise offers:

• Increased energy levels

• Reduced joint pain

• Better quality of sleep

• Increased brain health and cognitive function

• Stronger bones and muscles

• Reduced risk of chronic disease

• Improved mood, mental health, and quality of life

By tracking fitness daily, seniors can ensure that they are getting the correct amount of activity based on age, fitness level, and goals. A fitness tracker can be a powerful tool for helping seniors stay active and independent.

Fitness trackers not only measure exercise frequency and intensity, but they can also track steps, sleep, and heart rate. They play a substantial role in helping seniors age well by providing:

Personal Accountability

Personal fitness trackers monitor levels of progress based on preset goals or on what happened yesterday. Using notifications, they encourage users to move more than they did previously, walk another mile, or increase their calorie goals. Increasing fitness goals gradually can help seniors stay healthy and remain independent longer.

Goal Setting

No matter how basic or advanced personal fitness goals are, fitness trackers will meet seniors where they are. This aids in individually tailoring goals and monitoring success for the best results.

Sleep Monitoring

Adequate sleep is an important part of fitness, playing a crucial role in physical and mental health. Fitness trackers not only monitor when you fall asleep and when you wake up during the night, they let you know the amount of time spent in deep sleep. By gently reminding you to go to bed or waking you up, they give consistency to the sleep routine.

Encouragement

Most fitness trackers have a group dynamic where they let owners of the same brand of tracker compete against each other for the number of steps or time spent exercising. They help seniors stick to their fitness routines by letting them know someone is watching and encouraging competition.

Improved Heart Health

Fitness trackers provide information and give seniors an indication of their activity levels. Setting daily exercise levels is a great motivator to get out and move for better heart health.

Tips for Using Your Fitness Tracker

A quality fitness tracker doesn't have to cost much money. Once a good match is found, the following tips can aid in achieving health and wellness goals.

1. Set realistic goals. While most trackers recommend 10,000 steps daily, that number is only ideal for some. Set your own goals based on where you are currently, and increase it as you can.

2. Be consistent. For best results, a tracker should be worn every day. Set aside time when sedentary to charge it.

3. Socialize with other trackers. When friends and family members who have trackers set goals together, it creates a healthy spirit of competition and makes getting enough exercise fun.

4. Share successes. It's a good idea to check progress daily and share numbers with family members and health professionals. This serves as a visual reminder of how far you've come.

Your fitness tracker is an important part of your healthy lifestyle.

Ways to Stay Healthy

The best exercises for seniors promote specific aspects of well-being. Strength training, like bodyweight exercises and functional fitness routines such as calf raises, wall pushups, and small repetitive movements, help to improve balance.

Low-impact activities such as swimming, yoga, or cycling build the body and the bones without the risk of injury or joint pain. Water aerobics, swimming, and short walks are low-impact ways to improve cardiovascular health. Mobility exercises like neck stretches, shoulder rolls, knee extensions, and ankle rolls can help with retaining flexibility and agility to make everyday tasks more enjoyable and manageable.

Stay Healthy in Independent Living

To stay healthy in independent living in Chicago, Illinois, consider assisted living at Montgomery Place: Senior Living Community in Chicago. We offer several levels of care options to meet your or your loved one's needs.

Contact us today to schedule a tour.

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