Active Adult' Is the Newest Housing Option for Older Adults

Active Adult is a newly emerging private-pay residential option for older adults, writes columnist Sara Zeff Geber in Forbes . "The Active Adult model fits nicely between the urban, rural, or suburban single-family home and traditional senior living," she notes. "For those who have the freedom and means to travel, an Active Adult community provides a kind of 'lock-and-leave' lifestyle, even for longer trips. Because most Active Adult communities are apartment-style living, with secure entrances, the worry of leaving a freestanding home for several days to several months vanishes." An Active Adult community typically includes recreational amenities and activity programming by professional staff, social activities, grounds maintenance, and home maintenance. "These are rental properties and can be quite affordable," Geber writes. The only condition for entry is that renters be 55 years or older, or 62 or older in certain states. Geber emphasizes that Active Adult communities "are designed with active living built in to the plan," which developers believe "is the missing link to the spectrum of senior housing in America."