In an independent living home or apartment, you are not expected to have a certain activity level. In fact, this type of senior housing offers some onsite medical care as needed by residents. As such, independent living offers a low to medium level of care for patient needs.

The housing style of an independent living facility ranges from apartments or condos to single family homes or senior co-ops. You have full privacy with a living arrangement just for you and in some instances a spouse who meets the senior living requirements. However, you also gain from community-based services and facilities, such as a community entertainment space, meeting room, and community garden.

You also gain in surveillance and security to ensure your safety while living in this kind of senior living arrangement. In addition, the basic tasks of keeping a house, such as lawn care, changing light bulbs, and housekeeping are provided for seniors. This helps to ease the burdens of seniors, while still giving them their own space for as long as possible.

The cost of an independent living facility for seniors is on par with similar types of retirement communities, such as religious communities or active living centers. In fact, most of the retirement communities cross over to include independent living services for seniors. Independent living facilities are a transitional type of housing that is often followed by assisted living or nursing home care.