Five Things Seniors Must Consider When Choosing An Apartment

Sooner or later you as a senior will move out of your home to downsize your living requirements. Perhaps your children have grown up and gone to make the world a better place. Possibly you have recently lost your partner. Whatever the reason, you may possibly have decided to rent an apartment. If that is the case there are some things you must be aware of and some things you may want to avoid.

Location. Location. Location.

First. The most important consideration should be location. As a senior you will require medical attention. That is a fact. So you may require access to doctors offices, optometrist, medical clinics, and hospitals. You may be very healthy at the moment, but sooner or later you will need these facilities. It would be very wise to begin your search with this in mind.

A good idea if you have selected an unfamiliar city or an area in your city you may not know is to go on line and bring up Google Earth. Next, find apartments on line in that area, place a pin marker and check their locations on Google. Search hospitals or medical facilities on Google and you will be able to see not only where these things are located but you will see the shortest route for someone to get you there or for you to get where you need to go. You should keep this point in mind as you search. As a senior you may one day suffer a heart attack or stroke. The closer you are located to a hospital the better your chances of living.

Second. While viewing apartments notice how near are secondary schools. You should keep this information in mind as the older we get the less we tolerate the noise that associated with youngsters. Not that we don’t love the kids but there comes a time when we need quiet.

Third. The apartment superintendent will know where the children are located within the complex. It may be best to listen carefully for once you are in and settled it will be too late to go to the rigors of another move.

Fourth. If you have indoor parking available it will be a smart idea to pay the extra and go for it. Nothing can be more upsetting to a senior than a boiling hot vehicle parked in the sun all day or one covered with ice or snow in mid winter.

Fifth. Which floor should you settle? First floor is the best. Elevators can be unreliable. If you arrive home from shopping and want to get to the 8th floor, or 18th you may have a long wait in the lobby. If the building needs to be evacuated for any reason it is best to be able to walk out. For your information the elevators may not be used in case of a fire.

Joe and Irma Mac Millan have enjoyed the Whistler Mountain and valley area of British Columbia for many years. They have camped, hiked and skied the mountains and fished and kayaked the rivers and lakes. Their website whistler-outdoors is a must for anyone considering a trip to Whistler as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They invite one and all to take a look.