How Life Plan Communities Help Nurture Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships

Grandparent-grandchild relationships are a special part of life filled with joy. However, if you’re considering moving to senior living, you may be concerned that the move could disrupt your relationship with your grandchildren. The good news is that this is just a worry — not a reality. 

Residents of Life Plan Communities (LPCs) often find that these communities support connection and are really great for grandparent-grandchild relationships. Let’s explore how LPCs nurture these special relationships and learn about some experiences from residents. 

Enticing Amenities

Life Plan Communities take a joyful approach to health and wellness, making healthy living not only more attainable but also more fun. Communities offer plenty of healthy and fun amenities that many people don’t have access to if they’re not living in a community, such as pools, nutritious meals, walkable green spaces and fitness classes. 

Love to gather your family or friends for a meal but dread the inevitable cleanup? In Life Plan Communities, guests are welcome in the dining room, bistros and other spaces. Additionally, many LPCs offer private dining rooms that residents can reserve for special family events and guest suites they can reserve for overnight guests.

In addition to dining areas, you’ll find inviting gathering places where residents can spend quality time with their loved ones. These spaces make it easier to enjoy visits with grandkids and may even entice busy teenagers to visit with their friends to swim, attend events and participate in crafts and games. In many communities, residents and their visitors also have access to a community garden, where they can tend a plot together and relax while gardening. 

“This place is heaven on earth for grandchildren,” Ann Mills, a resident of Westminster Gardens, said. 

In fact, while her grandson was visiting her, fellow residents taught him the basics of playing tennis after they saw him watching from the community tennis court fence. “They stopped their game and taught him how to hit a ball,” Ann said.

Fun Events and Excursions

Your lifestyle is what you make it. At Life Plan Communities, you’ll find a wide range of fun events and excursions for residents and their family members of all ages. For example, you’ll find events, classes and lectures that span a variety of topics. Engage in woodworking or painting, attend concerts, take trips to local museums and more. With so many events to participate in, connecting with family and new friends is easy.

One of the best parts is that no planning or setup is necessary. This makes it easier to spend fun time with your grandkids and build quality connections with them without all the stress and need to clean up after the event. 

Human connection is how we thrive, and it’s highly beneficial for health and wellness. What sets a Life Plan Community apart is its commitment to connecting with others, whether it’s neighbors, new friends or family members. This means not only are your grandkids welcome, but they can also bring their friends, allowing you all to get to know one another. 

Stan and Jackie, residents of Rydal Park & Waters, knew they wanted to move to the community when they saw its beautiful cottages. 

“We wanted a place that was low maintenance but had the space and beautiful amenities that we desired in the next chapter of our lives,” Jackie said. “And our grandchildren especially love visiting the clubhouse!”

Stan added, “We have no intention of slowing down, so living at Rydal Park & Waters has given us the gifts of time and convenience, which are priceless to us.”

A Happy, Less-Stressed Grandparent 

A maintenance-free lifestyle means you have more time to focus on what you love. We’ve all been there: We spend a lot of quality time with family only to have to spend time cleaning up. At a Life Plan Community, there’s no more need to cook or hound the grandkids to clean up; you can simply head to the dining space together. 

LPCs focus on well-being, and they provide amenities and opportunities that make it easier for residents to live the life they desire. There is no one road to wellness. Rather, there are many paths to get there based on your goals and what you enjoy. LPCs are simply here to support you along the way, making preventive care, eating right and moving your body easy.

This translates to having more energy to spend fun time with grandkids at museums or performances or simply taking a walk through green spaces together. 

Allen, a resident of Piedmont Gardens, has a passion for museums, music performances and parks. He plans monthly trips to parks and museums and shares his appreciation and love for these things with his friends and grandsons, who live close by.

“It’s so important for me to share my passion for culture and the arts with my family,” Allen said. “Now that my grandsons are a little older, I am looking forward to taking them to museums and concerts. I am planning to take my older grandson to eight concerts this year. I am so looking forward to it! I really have the best of both worlds: family and friendships that keep me active and happy.”

A Safe and Supportive Environment 

It isn’t just where you’re living — it's also how you’re living, and a large part of that is security and peace of mind. Emotional, physical and financial security are the foundations of living well. A Life Plan Community can greatly ease worries. Adult grandchildren may worry less, and young grandchildren’s parents may feel less anxious about their kids visiting grandparents. The supportive, safe environment may make visiting grandkids feel less daunting since there is help if you need it. 

LPCs offer a low-maintenance mindset and help residents with everything from leaky faucets to tending to landscaping. Additionally, if a resident should require care in the future, they don’t have to move to another community or be surprised by additional financial costs. Residents also have access to 24/7 emergency and security response, bringing peace of mind to residents and their loved ones every day.

Nurture Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships with Low-Stress Living

The grandparent-grandchild relationship is one of the most special relationships in life — no matter how old your grandchild is. It’s essential to spend quality time with your grandchildren, but it can be difficult when there are household chores, maintenance tasks and cleanup after a meal to handle. Life Plan Communities take care of all of this and more – meaning you can enjoy more time doing what you love, and less time doing what you don’t.

Did you know that lunch with your grandchild, an outing with your nephew and your weekly brunch with your neighbor are just as important as any other healthy lifestyle choice? Learn more with our guide, “Relationships: The Key Ingredient in the Recipe for a Happy, Healthy Life.”