Evaluation Criteria Active Lifestyles

Retirement is the beginning of a whole new life – the start of an exciting adventure.  Maintaining an active lifestyle at all ages is a top priority for millions of people.  The growing trend with retirees is to stay active and continue doing the things they love well into their later years. With so many active retirement destinations available, it can be a daunting task to determine which of those communities’ best fits your needs.  BestRetirementDestinations.com has taken the guesswork out of finding that perfect community. We have done extensive research on what criteria is important to those living in and seeking an active retirement destination.  The communities that appear on our ranking system have proven themselves to be above the standard in five critical areas. Ranking Criteria: Recreational Activities:  Most communities offer some level of recreational opportunities, but for the active adult, the communities have to go one step further.  The choices must be greater and the levels of difficulty must be varied.  In this criterion, those are assessed.    The opportunity for other activities outside of the immediate community are also taken into consideration.  Health & Nutrition:  In an active community, health & nutrition play a vital role.  Does the community provide educational opportunities on nutrition and other related topics?   Is the restaurant serving healthy and alternative meals? Are there fitness and health related classes offered? Safety/Security:  This includes the level of the security force on duty.  Is there 24 hour security that patrol?   Are the communities gated?  Are all public area’s well lit at night?  The level of fire protection and the response time is also an important component of this criterion. Social Networking:  Whether the community provides an opportunity for social gathering of residents is a very important factor for most people.  This criterion reflects how often and what types of social networking is offered. Proximity of Medical Services:  Because the active adult may be at a greater risk for injury, the proximity of medical care is of importance.  Not only is the onsite medical care assessed, but also the proximity of the nearest major health facility.