Leads homeowners to discard their best retirement options

By Tim Bracken
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

If you’re a happy homeowner age 75 or older, polls suggest your image of a “retirement community” is actually of an assisted living community—a retirement option designed specifically for someone other than you.

An independent national poll recently asked a random sampling of homeowners age 75-plus at various cities across America to name the first community that came to mind when they heard the word “retirement community.” By far, the most common answers named were assisted living communities. This response came despite the questionnaires description of “retirement community” as a place where people can live independent lifestyles.

How people lose out on important beneficial options in their retirement
“The findings underscore the predicament of homeowners as they begin noticing their current house is larger than they need and requires more work than they enjoy,” explains Bill Tamulonis, vice president of research for Erickson. “The polls suggest many people unwittingly discard out of hand an entire array of opportunities designed specifically for people in their exact situation! They miss out simply because they mistakenly equate all “retirement community” options with a specific type that is really designed for people much older than they are.”

Erickson, for example, caters to homeowners in the prime of their retirement- people fully satisfied with their house, like Jim Aldrich. “We had no thoughts of moving when we visited Erickson—we just refinanced our house. But we realized after our visit that if it makes sense to move in 3-5 years, then it makes sense to move now, and we did. I only wish we had moved sooner,” says Jim. What Erickson adds for the 18,000 people like Jim is a heightened freedom to pursue their interests, a peace of mind about future health contingencies, and a time-tested way to protect their nest egg.