Making the transition from your home to your new senior apartment can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to adjust. It’s incredibly important to make your senior apartment feel like home.
Creating a space that feels like home will make the transition much easier and less stressful. When getting used to your new apartment, you’ll want to make this new space feel familiar to ease into this next chapter in your life.
What’s the first step? Get excited about your new space and open yourself up to all the possibilities! The next steps, which we’ve put together for you below, are five things you can do immediately to make your senior apartment in Saratoga Springs feel more like the home, and hopefully, be a new home to love.
1. Arrange Your Space to Feel Familiar
One of the best ways to adjust to your new space is to create a layout similar to your previous space. Choose your favorite furniture pieces and set them up relative to how you placed them before, such as having your nightstand on the same side of the bed or similarly situate the couch and chair in your living room.
When deciding what to bring into your new space, follow a “less is more” approach. Be selective on what you bring with you so your new, condensed space doesn’t feel cramped. Make your space inviting for guests to encourage loved ones to visit, as well as old and new friends.
It’s also important to keep mobility and other safety considerations in mind. Clutter, cords, or too many furniture pieces may make it difficult to move around creating trip hazards, bumps into furniture, and can increase the risk of falls. When setting up your space keep things within reach, that’s comfortable and safe for you, and ensure you can move around freely with or without assistive devices (and keep this in mind for guests too!)
2. Make Your Space Your Own and Mix It Up!
Now comes the fun part! Play interior decorator by adding color to space to make it vibrant and fresh. Sprinkle in some new items with your sentimental trinket and décor. Include lots of art pieces that are colorful and interesting. Go all out on your bedding or accessories such as pillows and throws for added comfort.
Make your space beautiful and comfortable and to your tastes. This is your space so make it your own – the sky’s the limit!
3. Add Lots of Your Favorite Photos
Hang up or set up all your frame photos of loved ones, as this can be the greatest comfort of all. Be sure though to have some fun with your photos as well. Go through your photo albums and choose new ones to frame or make a photo collage to display.
If you’re computer savvy or know someone who is, try a digital frame that can switch through lots of photos. This is a great way to display more pictures rather than them sitting in a box or dusty old album. (Hint to family and friends: this makes an excellent housewarming gift!)
Don’t be afraid to get creative on what to show off in your new space. Try creating a gratitude board using a whiteboard or if you’re feeling crafty, make it with poster board. Place your gratitude board where you will see it every day.
Hang a bulletin board, or keep lots of magnets handy on the fridge, to hang up your grandkid’s art and photos. You can add special event invitations or community event flyers as reminders of things to look forward to.
4. Bring Your Space to Life with Plants
Adding houseplants to your new senior apartment will add color and life to your space. Studies show that plants can purify the air, boost your mood, lower blood pressure and anxiety, and can give you a sense of accomplishment while caring for them.
Think green! Try out different types of plants, add them to every room, or try flowering plants for even more color and little fragrance too. (Another hint for family and friends – plants are a great housewarming gift!)
5. Stay Connected and Be Active in Your Senior Living Community
We’ve talked a lot about your senior apartment and making it feel like home. However, there is more to “home” than just your living space. It’s important to maintain an active senior lifestyle and feel connected to your independent senior living community.
Here are a few tips to make your Senior Apartment in Saratoga Springs feel like home:
• Get to know the staff and stay connected with them.
• Encourage your loved ones to engage in the community with you.
• Participate in social events and field trips hosted by the community.
• Find or participate in activities you enjoy to connect with other residents in your community with similar interests.
We hope you’ve found this guide helpful. We know that adjusting to your senior apartment in Saratoga Springs, as well as this new community, can be challenging and it’s important to us to make this transition as smooth as possible.
The Wesley Community has provided services and programs with a commitment to compassion, caring, and excellence for nearly 50 years. We began as an innovative combination of independent housing for older adults and skilled nursing care on a single site, and have grown to today’s multiplex of services that enhance hundreds of lives daily.
Feel free to contact us to learn more about our senior living community in Saratoga Springs. Complete this form online, or call (518) 587-3600 for information about our home care, skilled nursing & memory care, assisted living, independent living, or anything else you may need assistance with. We look forward to helping you!