Seniors who love everything the Midwest has to offer are often reluctant to join the droves of older adults who head south in their retirement. Whether you’re a snowbird or a full-time resident of Chicagoland, you get to enjoy four beautiful seasons, great sports, outstanding dining, and close proximity to Lake Michigan. Park Ridge is the perfect blend of Chicago-style neighborhoods and the convenience of a suburb, making it an ideal place to retire.
Even better, Park Ridge and its surrounding areas take care of their senior residents. You can find a plethora of senior resources right in your backyard that will help you find a happy and healthy retirement. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Stay Active with the Park District
Illinois is known for its fabulous park districts, and Park Ridge is certainly no exception. Park Ridge Park District offers specialized senior activities throughout its facilities, including exercise classes and trips. Its STAR (Seniors Together at Recreation) program was designed for adults 55 and older and offers members even more than regular active adult programs do. You can enjoy a drop-in social center daily, early bird registration, and volunteer opportunities to keep you pleasantly busy throughout the week.
Find Support at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Seniors who live alone at home or need additional nutritional support can enjoy home-delivered meals through Advocate’s home-delivered meals program. Meals are delivered to seniors who have signed up for the service five days per week, and the fee is minimal.
But Advocate is an excellent resource for more than just home-delivered meals. It also assists seniors through its active Adult Day Service, dementia-specific Expressions group, and more.
Get More Information with Age Options
Cook County is home to Age Options, an organization devoted to providing services and referrals to seniors so that they can stay as healthy and independent as possible. Park Ridge seniors can benefit from their services, including the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP), counseling, caregiver support groups, and benefits checkups. Take advantage of everything Age Options has to offer, because they are experts who are ready to assist you throughout the aging process.
Share Your Story with Others
Park Ridge offers a variety of support groups throughout the community and surrounding hospital systems. For those who have a loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease, an Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group is held monthly at Advocate Medical Group. The support group is moderated by a trained facilitator and features time for sharing and learning, as well as occasional outside speakers who can give additional resources to the group.
Advocate Health Care also offers support groups geared toward dementia support, including specialized groups for Lewy body and young-onset types.
Connect with Senior Living Communities
Finally, the Chicagoland suburbs are full of senior living communities that offer resources and support for seniors throughout the area. In Park Ridge alone, you can find senior communities that cater to all ability levels and preferences, including Summit of Uptown.
At Summit, we offer individualized attention to each of our residents and serve seniors in our independent living, assisted living, and dementia care neighborhoods. Our team is here to get to know each of the seniors who call our community home, and we thrive on building these meaningful relationships. These “deep connections” make our community special, as does our attention to ongoing staff training that ensures that we are well versed in senior living resources throughout our city and county.
Our free resource, “Finding a Safe and Comfortable Senior Living Community,” will help you navigate senior living options. Whether you’re searching for an active community for independent seniors or for specialized care with additional assistance, our guide will help you find what you’re looking for.
If you’ve ever been curious about what senior living can really look like, we would love to show you around our campus. Join us for a meal, an activity, or an event. Call us today to set up your personalized tour.
