Life in an Active Adult Community While Still Working: Balancing Work and Leisure In Your Golden Years
For the active 55+ professional, the idea of “retirement” has changed. You’re still deeply committed to your career—a part of your life you’ve worked tirelessly to build. You have relationships you care about, friends and family to spend time with, and the financial freedom to indulge your passions, interests, and hobbies. You’re aware that planning for future health care needs is important, but “facilities” and “senior homes” aren’t in your vocabulary.
Selling your house, getting rid of your belongings, and moving somewhere slower may have never been on your agenda. And at a 55+ active adult community like Mosaic by Willow Valley Communities, a mundane, “programmed” lifestyle isn’t what you’ll experience.
55+ active adult communities cater to you: the professional, the creative, or the go-getter who still seeks more adventures in this new chapter of your life—with the bonus of low-maintenance living and a plan that safeguards your future health needs for peace of mind while you enjoy a vibrant lifestyle today.
Discover the benefits, amenities, and inclusions that come with living in a 55+ active adult community and assess whether these communities are suitable for your lifestyle—especially while you’re still working.
What is a 55+ Active Adult Community?
A 55+ active adult community blends independence, community, and peace of mind into a living, working, and thriving space. It delivers on the promise of its name: a community where like-minded residents 55 and over pursue their hobbies, continue working, indulge in new or favorite pastimes, and live life to the fullest.
Mosaic, located in the heart of Lancaster City, PA, will offer its 55+ active residents unparalleled access to a vibrant, walkable city with live theater, galleries, eclectic shops, and nationally renowned restaurants.
Active 55+ adult communities encourage residents to maintain their active lifestyles with their location, aesthetics, and amenities, which tend to differ from traditional retirement or senior living communities. Active adult communities, like Mosaic Lancaster by Willow Valley Communities, offer everything you could want in a city living apartment—with the added bonus of Type A Lifecare.
Mosaic’s Type A Lifecare entitles you to short- or long-term care at our suburban campuses if ever needed, with no increase to your monthly fee because of the need for enhanced care later.
Benefits of a 55+ Active Adult Community
Within a 55+ active adult community, residents have a range of world-class amenities to support their active lifestyles.
Body, Mind, and Soul Wellness
Active adult communities deliver on their name: they’re active. Mosaic Lancaster will offer myriad opportunities to enrich your body, mind, and soul through fitness centers, walking trails, and wellness programs.
At Mosaic Lancaster, you will be able to embrace a lush urban oasis at the rooftop dog park or resident gardens. Or, maybe you’d like to do some laps in the indoor pool facing Southern Market after finishing the morning spin class. Grab a coffee at the Casual Café, watch your pet get groomed, take the grandkids to the Kids Lounge, or read a book over recently imported vino at the Wine Cellar.
Your home and its amenities should enrich your body, your mind, and your soul with whatever fulfills them most.
Social Engagement
Living in an active adult community means meeting a diverse set of like-minded people with similar interests. Despite sounding like an oxymoron, residents of active adult communities descend from all backgrounds, professions, and walks of life to create a tight-knit community that appreciates similar values.
In a 55+ active adult community, you’ll become neighbors with those who value what you do: freedom, excitement, and a life lived forward.
Low Maintenance Living
After a certain point, household chores and maintenance (like raking leaves, fixing appliances, and general upkeep) become boring tasks that take time away from what you’d rather be doing. Active adult communities like Mosaic Lancaster will remove those responsibilities, giving residents the time back to do what they love. The low-maintenance living opportunity, combined with a transparent, straight-forward monthly fee, enables residents to take advantage of every opportunity without responsibility roadblocks.
Trade in your shovel for shopping bags and hammer for a playbill. There’s always something going on in downtown Lancaster City or at Willow Valley Communities’ suburban campuses.
Your Lifestyle, Your Way
One of the best parts about living in an active 55+ community is the freedom to live the life you design—no fixed dining plan, activity itinerary, or arbitrary schedule allowed.
Located at the epicenter of a bustling small city in its renaissance, Mosaic Lancaster offers just the right blend of city living and serene rural access. Business professionals can take advantage of the burgeoning markets on the rise in Lancaster County from the heart of it all—and remain mere miles away from a quiet retreat when desired.
Should You Move to a 55+ Community?
So, here’s the $640,000 question: should you move to a 55+ active adult community?
Active adult communities offer many benefits—but the advantages don’t eliminate the questions or concerns many 55+ potential residents have. Living in a 55+ active adult community might make sense for you if…
You value a work-life balance in a community living space.
Living within an active adult 55+ community like Mosaic Lancaster will allow your professional life to continue to thrive. Living in a city—with the amenities of a resort—allows you a shorter commute and a place to unwind. According to Lancaster County Community Indicators, Lancaster has increased the number of businesses by sector in earnest since 2000. It’s an incubator of culture, innovation, and progress nestled within deep-rooted agricultural beginnings.
You want to live in the “heart of it all” with low maintenance concerns.
With its emphasis on “active,” 55+ communities like Mosaic champion the Life Lived Forward lifestyles. It’s a place to find new passions, revisit forgotten hobbies, meet new people, learn new things, and experience every opportunity that comes your way. You get all of this without the “adult responsibilities” that slow down life’s best moments.
You prefer to stay active while having a back-pocket plan for future health needs.
If you prefer a more active social scene, you’ll enjoy community living in an active adult, amenity-rich complex like Mosaic. The community’s offerings will empower adults to continue their active lifestyles in whatever way they like to live—while providing Type A Lifecare that offers stable, predictable monthly fees even if you take advantage of advanced healthcare down the road.
When deciding whether or not this is the right decision for your life, consider the following:
- Do you plan to continue working?
- Are you looking to downsize or “rightsize” while maintaining your active lifestyle?
- Would you prefer to be in the “center of it all?”
- Do you want an escape from storms, southern weather, or other issues with your primary residence?
- Do you enjoy being part of a community?
- Are you looking for a future healthcare plan with predictable costs and comprehensive coverage?
If you answered yes to even half of the questions above, an active 55+ community may suit exactly what you’re looking for. Additional long-term considerations that Mosaic by Willow Valley Communities (and other 55+ active adult communities) can help you account for include:
- Planning for future medical care needs.
- Aging in place.
- Adapting to changes in lifestyle.
- Maintaining family and friend relationships.
- Making connections within a wider community.
Making the Move: How to Choose the Right Community
Once you’ve decided you’re ready to make the move, take the time to choose the right active adult community. If you believe Mosaic aligns with the lifestyle you want to continue living (and we believe you’ll find that it does!), take the following steps to get started.
Do Your Research and Visit
Just like you’d tour a new house and its neighborhood, visit your new community. Mosaic, slated to open to first residents in 2028, welcomes potential residents to walk the block, talk with current Lancaster City residents, attend events, and visit Willow Valley Communities (just seven miles away) to establish a comprehensive impression.
Consider the Amenities Offered
A move makes sense when what you want combines with what’s available. At Mosaic, you have it all, steps from your home. From a spa and wellness center and in-house pet grooming; to award-winning restaurants and healthcare in the neighborhood; to a sister campus with additional dining venues, hobby spaces, fitness amenities, and more, we challenge you to find a passion you can’t pursue within your new life in Lancaster City and Mosaic.
Turn to the Professionals
Our Mosaic sales advisors are named that way for a reason: they’re here to counsel you through the decision from an emotional, financial, and social perspective to ensure you make the best decision for your life. Don’t hesitate to request a meeting with our sales advisor, Barb Bidding, for a chance to see what life at Mosaic could look like, to reserve your favorite apartment at pre-construction pricing, or to keep up-to-date with the most recent construction progress.
Living Life Like You Dreamed
Moving to an active adult community provides countless opportunities for connection, amusement, thrill. After careful consideration of your lifestyle and future goals, it might be a perfect move as an additional home or foray into your next chapter. Start exploring your options and schedule a visit to learn more about Mosaic.