According to the Insured Retirement Institute, there are about 76 million baby boomers in the United States, and it is projected that their generation will retire at a rate of 10,000 per day through at least 2030, at which point almost 73 million Americans will be age 65 or older. As this group is aging, they are starting to think about their retirement options. Leaving a long-time home and deciding to move to a senior living community can often be a hard and emotional process for the entire family. For seniors, it can be very challenging to leave a familiar environment, their neighbors and certain aspects of their current lifestyle. Suddenly they have to learn how to live in a new home and create new habits. However, studies show that socialization – which is a significant part of senior living – as well as access to care if they need it will help seniors thrive and stay healthy longer. Many seniors understand the benefits of moving to a senior living community and want to make the decision on their own terms while they’re independent and healthy. That’s the reason Don Nagley, a resident of Reston, is excited to make the move to Waltonwood Ashburn senior living community this fall. He encourages other seniors to do their research and plan ahead.

“I started thinking of moving out of my home a while ago, and it has been a process for me,” said Don Nagley, future resident of Waltonwood Ashburn. “Although it is not easy, it is important for me to maintain a sense of independence while moving out of my house. I didn’t want to wait until I have multiple health problems or until I am forced to decide in a rush, and I wanted to be able to walk into independent living. I also got tired of cooking for myself.”

Nagley, a former Lt. Col. who served in the Air Force for 29 years, left the military and started working at EIT, LLC, in Sterling, Va. He spent 20 years at the company, opening the first human resources department and training the first human resources director. Nagley is a father of three children and a grandfather of eight grandchildren. He met his wife at Washington State University and the two were married for 47 years until she passed away six years ago. Nagley is looking forward to sharing stories about his experiences with his new neighbors and friends at Waltonwood Ashburn. He will turn 82 soon, and he decided it’s time for him to move into independent living for multiple reasons, including his own safety. Together with one of his son and his daughter, he visited and compared many communities, and he wants to share his insights with other seniors in similar situations.

“We all have different requirements when it comes to choosing where we live during retirement, but when I was deciding which community was perfect for me I made sure I asked the right questions,” said Nagley. “For me it was a combination of brand new, location, size of the community and their friendly and helpful team. I think my children will be more comfortable too because they don’t live close enough to come and check on me every now and then. No matter how old we are, we all value our independence, and I am glad I am able to walk into a senior living community and continue to live independently, yet safer.”

 “We look forward to soon assisting Don as he prepares to move into our community,” said Justin Roberts, executive director of Waltonwood Ashburn. “One of our highest priorities is helping our residents maintain their independent lifestyle. We believe living in a senior living community brings many benefits to the lives of residents. They have an opportunity to create new friendships, make a difference by volunteering or enhance their lives through interesting activities and new experiences.”

The Waltonwood Ashburn team believes in being an ongoing resource for the local community. As a result, the team is sharing some sample questions that seniors and their families should ask when looking for a community to retire:

• What is the lifestyle offered by the community?
• How would you describe the community culture?
• Is the area surrounding the community a desirable one?
• Is there a hospital close by?
• What are the health care services offered at each level of care?
• How big is the senior living community?
• How many homes are there?
• Is there a possibility to choose from different floor plans?
• What are the visiting hours?
• How are security and emergency situations handled?
• What meal plans are offered?
• Does the community offer any transportation services?
• Does the community plan a monthly calendar of events and activities?
• What is the application process like?

Waltonwood Ashburn is expected to open this fall. Singh currently owns and operates 10 other Waltonwood Senior Communities in Michigan and North Carolina, and has several other communities in development and under construction in North Carolina and the Washington, D.C. metro area market.