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Retirement is a multifaceted experience. While the promise of freedom and the chance to pursue passions has been shimmering on the horizon for decades, the reality of retirement unfolds in stages. The journey consists of distinct phases, each with its own set of adjustments, joys, and challenges.

Let's look at the five main stages of retirement and how to prepare for each phase with confidence.

Stage 1: The Planning Stage

Pre-retirement, also known as the planning stage, typically happens about five to ten years before you actually retire. Your focus has shifted from expanding your career to preparing for the next chapter. This phase involves financial planning and envisioning a retirement lifestyle.

While this stage can be full of excitement and anticipation, worry and doubt can seep in. Realistically considering what you want from retirement, including where you would like to live, can make the transition easier.

Stage 2: The Honeymoon Stage

When full retirement is reached, a honeymoon phase sets in. During this stage, you may feel like you're on an endless vacation, getting to do things you've always wanted to do, like traveling or spending time with loved ones. Some may approach this stage by keeping up with many of the same routines they kept when working, while others dive right into a leisurely lifestyle.

This stage might last for one or two years but can be extended much longer depending on the individual.

Stage 3: The Disenchantment Stage

Some may find themselves becoming disenchanted with retirement life after just a few months when they become bored or restless. Feelings of loneliness or depression may develop after the emotional high begins to wear off. At this stage, many begin to experience disappointment in their current lifestyle, especially if it's not as exciting as once imagined.

If this stage goes on too long, quality of life and physical well-being can be impacted, negatively affecting life expectancy.

Stage 4: The Reorientation Stage

Once the uncertainties of the disenchantment stage have been experienced, it's time to reconstruct your identity and lifestyle. Without a full-time job and children to care for, it can be hard to find one's purpose. This is the time to focus on what makes you happy. Try new things, develop new talents, volunteer, or just add interesting activities to your daily routine.

Although this period can be tricky, the reorientation phase of retirement is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable stages.

Stage 5: The Stability Stage

Once you have faced all the challenges the years can present, a new sense of self and hope for the future awaits you. In this final stage of retirement, you may find yourself settled into your new lifestyle doing things you love and feeling fulfilled.

When you reach the stability stage, you can fully enjoy all the benefits retirement has to offer.

Planning Financially

Once you know what you want your retirement to look like, you can assess your financial needs to support it. Review your income sources and assets, and consider beginning the task of downsizing. This is a good time to think about selling a home that is now more than you want to manage. Look for areas where you can free up extra money that can help fund your retirement.

You may also need to have money set aside for unexpected expenses, such as medical emergencies or unforeseen circumstances.

Planning Psychologically

Retirement is a transitional phase of life. After leaving the workforce, some may struggle with their sense of meaning and purpose as routines are eliminated. Feelings of loneliness and depression are common during this time.

Psychologically preparing for retirement involves making some decisions about how you want to live. Montgomery Place in Chicago offers a wide range of living options and a robust schedule of activities to elevate your retirement lifestyle. Contact us today to plan your tour.

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Moving to a senior living community can be a bittersweet experience. Feelings of sadness about abandoning a "forever" home and fear of the unknown are sometimes sources of anxiety for you and your loved ones. What to bring and what to let go of before relocating to a new space is rarely fun.

With some planning and some tips for adjusting, transitioning can be a painless and even happy experience.  Montgomery Place Senior Living Community is dedicated to creating a stress-free environment that immediately feels like home.

Tips Before the Move

Complex emotions come with the thought of leaving familiar things, people, and places behind. To make the transition to senior living as easy as possible, focus on the move in stages.

Browse Communities

Begin your search for a place to relocate by making a checklist of the level of service and/or care you need. Isolate the ones that can meet your requirements and schedule appointments to visit.

Montgomery Place offers several living options, including:

• Independent Living

• Independent Living with Services

• Skilled Nursing

• Memory Care

• Short-Term Rehab

When you visit a community, ask questions and be observant of how content residents seem in their environment. Trust your intuition. At Montgomery Place, residents receive the level of care that provides the highest possible quality of life.

Downsize Gradually

Moving to a smaller living space requires deciding on which things are necessary and what can be passed down to the care of another family member, given away, or maybe sold at a moving sale. Consider the sizes of the rooms and the amount of storage available to you before packing items that may hold more sentimental value than function. Invite children, grandchildren, and others you are close to to choose pieces they have always admired.

Take your time with downsizing. It can be therapeutic knowing possessions are going to homes.

Embrace the Change

Senior living communities allow young retirees to live a good life without the worries of running a home. Necessary tasks such as cleaning, yard work, preparing meals, and managing medication are eliminated. At the same time, opportunities for socializing, exercising, taking classes, and participating in cultural activities all happen on the grounds.

Think of this as the opportunity to enjoy your life with support to help keep your days worry-free.

Tips for Acclimating to the Living Community: The First Week and Beyond

The sooner you get accustomed to your new surroundings, the quicker you'll feel at home. 

Setting Up the New Space

Personalize your new living space with things you brought from home to create comfort. Pictures, decorative pillows, plants, and a familiar room freshener help rooms feel cozy.

Meet Your Neighbors

Introduce yourself to other residents and invite someone to sit with you for coffee or lunch. You'll become comfortable living there more quickly if you feel like you know your neighbors.

Meet the Staff

Learn the names of staff members who help your day run smoother. This will assist with easing into the small-town or family atmosphere created by the best senior living communities.

Participate in Activities

Community involvement facilitates emotional, mental, and physical health. Attend events that interest you to enjoy a life-long hobby or learn new skills.  

Join Clubs or Groups

Opportunities to socialize are abundant in senior living communities. Group activities and clubs introduce you to new ideas and people with whom you may share things.

Call Montgomery Place Home in Chicago Today

If you or your loved one is ready to make the transition to assisted living, call us at Montgomery Place in Chicago today. We are here to provide the care and attention you need in a setting you will enjoy calling home.

The city of Chicago is a wonderful place to enjoy the holiday season. The whole place comes alive with dazzling lights, elegant displays, and a wonderful festive atmosphere.

Whether you want to get out and see the sights or you prefer to stay warm indoors with a hobby or activity, Montgomery Place Senior Living Community in Chicago has you covered.

The Charm of Chicago in the Winter

Winter is a magical time of the year in Chicago. Despite the chilly weather, the snow makes the whole city sparkle. With light shows, Christmas and holiday markets, and live performances, there is much to do to help you get into the season's spirit.

Because winter is a relatively low season for tourism in Chicago, many popular attractions experience somewhat lighter crowds than normal. You can enjoy museums, theater, great restaurants, shopping, comedy clubs, and all the wonderful things Chicago is famous for while you enjoy the place at its loveliest. Access to all the city offers in winter is just a bus ride from Independent Living at Montgomery Place.

Holiday Indoor Activities

On those days when you'd rather not brave the weather, Chicago features many interesting indoor activities for you to enjoy.

• See famous works of art at the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the oldest and largest museums in the U.S.

• Griffin Museum of Science and Industry displays over 50 decorated Christmas trees for the Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light exhibit.

• Winter flower shows happen at Garfield Park Conservatory and Lincoln Park Conservatory, where it is green and lush year-round. Admission is free, but reservations may be required.

Montgomery Place offers holiday-themed films and concerts that can be enjoyed in the lounge. You or your loved one can make Christmas ornaments, wrap gifts, decorate wreaths, enjoy fiber arts like knitting, crocheting, and sewing, baking holiday treats, take part in community events like gift exchanges and game night, and share memories with others to feel the warmth of the season.

Winter Wonders in the City

If you have grandkids in town, everyone will enjoy seeing Chicago all lit up for the holidays. The grounds of Lincoln Park Zoo are turned into a twinkling winter wonderland during the winter months with ZooLights. This long-time family-friendly tradition features over 2.5 million lights, hundreds of radiant holiday displays, themed lighting concepts, a Light Maze, and ticketed rides.

Always admission-free, Christkindlmarket is a German-style outdoor shopping experience where visitors can stroll through magical holiday villages, participate in special events, and find unique vendor products from around the world. A large indoor and outdoor holiday experience in Chicago is Light Up the Lake on the Navy Pier, featuring lakefront lighting exhibits, an outdoor ice-skating rink, cozy firepits, and the enclosed Centennial Ferris Wheel.

Winter is an excellent time to explore Chicago's diverse restaurant scene. A Chicago food tour can take you through everything from deep-dish pizza to Chicago-style hotdogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and more. Many of Chicago's renowned restaurants offer delicious seasonal menus.

Need A Ride?

There are lots of convenient transportation options available to you! Check out our blog on transportation for seniors in Chicago to learn more.

Montgomery Place: A Year-Round Haven

Montgomery Place offers engaging activities all year long and is an especially fun place to be during the holidays. Located in Chicago's Hyde Park residential neighborhood, the community is convenient to all the exciting winter activities happening in the city.

Contact us today to learn more about our living options. We provide several medical and lifestyle assistance levels to ensure safety, mobility, and happiness to members who want to live their best lives.

As we age, uncertainties about living situations begin to arise. There may come a time when everyday activities such as meal preparation and driving to appointments become difficult. The thought of managing a household in the midst of illness or limited mobility is worrisome.  

A continuing care retirement community can help simplify things during retirement years.

What is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)?

Also known as a life plan community, a CCRC is a living option for seniors who want to "age in place". It is a community where early retirees can live independently while enjoying an amenity-rich lifestyle among their peers, with access to onsite higher-level care should medical needs progress.

A CCRC lets older adults age with dignity on their own terms rather than being forced to uproot their lives as abilities change. 

What services does a CCRC provide?

A wide range of services and amenities are offered by continuing care communities. Some of the most popular include:

• Professional health services such as physician and nursing care, physical therapy, mental health and nutritional counseling, dental care, onsite pharmacy, memory care

• Commercial services like barbers and beauty shops, banking, retail shops, transportation, postal services, cable television, internet, coffee shops

• Community services such as a fitness center, library, swimming pools, tennis court, walking trails, golf course, game room, craft room, greenhouse, art studio

Continuing care retirement communities like Montgomery Place provide assistance with daily living activities like housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, and security at various levels of continuing care.

The Levels of Care CCRCs Typically Offer

No matter the level of care needed by an individual resident, most CCRCs can accommodate.

Level 1: Independent Living

Independent living is often the first stage in a resident's life at a continuing-care retirement community. Active and healthy older adults enjoy CCRC facilities and maintenance-free benefits while living alone in their choice of residence.

Level 2: Assisted Living

When greater assistance is needed, residents can move into assisted living. Here, they receive round-the-clock medical and custodial care, including medication administration, bathing, and dressing, while still remaining as independent as possible. This may involve private or semi-private apartment-style accommodations.

Level 3: Memory Care

Memory loss due to dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and other cognitive impairments may warrant transition into the next level of retirement living. With on-campus memory care, residents are attended to by specially trained staff focused on their comfort, safety, and engagement.

Level 4: Skilled Nursing Care

In skilled nursing care, medical and custodial services are provided 24/7, in addition to rehabilitation services and short-term care. This could be in the form of physical or speech therapy after a stroke, post-surgery wound care, or intravenous medication administration requiring skilled nursing care.

How are CCRCs different from other retirement options?

Older adults are faced with several options in retirement. They can stay in their own homes with assistance from family members or an outside nursing service or leave their homes to live in a family member's home, a retirement home, a nursing facility, or a CCRC.

Unlike the other options for retirement living, CCRCs provide a way to remain independent as long as possible. With customizable services available to fit changing individual needs, residents always receive the best level of care. 

Is a CCRC right for me?

If you or a loved one is faced with future care concerns, a continuing care retirement community may be the best answer. Montgomery Place Retirement Community in Chicago, Illinois, offers lakeside living at its finest.

Contact us today to learn more about our living options or to explore floor plans.

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Spring cleaning can be overwhelming for anyone. For seniors, it can honestly be intimidating. However, this important job can be tackled with a little planning to help get your home free of unnecessary clutter.  

Montgomery Place offers the following tips for safe and effective spring cleaning. 

The Importance of Spring Cleaning for Seniors

A clean and orderly space to live makes a big difference in the quality of life. A good spring cleaning is the key to feeling rejuvenated inside and out in a senior's home. This also has a lot to do with safety and well-being.

Clearing out clutter helps prevent falls and other accidents, as an organized home is safer and easier to navigate. Spring cleaning simplifies daily living and promotes mobility.  

Efficient Senior Cleaning Strategies

Even an older adult with limited mobility can spruce up their living space. Larger tasks may involve getting some help.

Organize Medicine Cabinets 

A medicine cabinet houses everything needed to keep healthy. Things do expire, however, and then they become dangerous clutter. You run the risk of mixing up what is too old to be effective with what is needed for health. 

Outdated prescriptions expired over-the-counter drugs, and old first aid materials should be removed from the medicine cabinet. Update emergency documents and make sure your first aid kit is complete. Toss out old bandages and empty containers, and contact your city's waste service to learn how best to dispose of medications that are past the expiration date. 

Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

For smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to be effective, they must be in working order. Put fresh batteries in all your detectors, safely dispose of the old batteries, and make sure your devices are functioning properly. This job may require climbing on a ladder or chair to reach the detector, so ask someone to help you with this.

If you have a fire extinguisher, also check its expiration date. This may be the time to replace it or get one if you don't have one.

Refresh the Kitchen

Old food and utensils you no longer use can make a kitchen depressing. Remove expired food and condiments from the refrigerator, freezer, and cabinets. Wipe down the shelves, or have someone do it for you, before organizing what you want to keep by category. 

Putting all cold produce in the refrigerator's produce bin, condiments in the door, and canned goods together in the pantry helps to simplify meal prep. A container of baking soda placed in the refrigerator aids in keeping it smelling fresh. 

Minimize Clutter

This is the time to downsize in terms of accumulated stuff. Decide what things you need and which items are taking up real estate. Donate, sell, or give things away that you no longer have any real need for but others might cherish. Consider handing over family heirlooms to those who have an interest in keeping memories alive for future generations. 

Cleaning Safety

It's important to remember to keep safe when tackling a job like spring cleaning. Independent seniors may push themselves too far, with serious unintended consequences.

Don't risk injury with tasks that are too complicated. Leave the heavy lifting to someone else and ask for help with those jobs that may be too much to handle by yourself. Having a friend or family member over to tackle spring cleaning can turn a daunting task into a fun visit. It will go by a lot quicker, too.

Find Low-Maintenance Apartment Floor Plans at Montgomery Place

Montgomery Place Retirement Community in Chicago, Illinois, offers low-maintenance apartment floor plans that can help make spring-cleaning a lot easier. Contact us today for a tour.

Featured Image: Studio Romantic / Shutterstock

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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