5 Ways to Be a Great Neighbor in Your Senior Living Community

Making friends and having great neighbors in your senior living community is essential in enhancing your quality of life. Building and maintaining positive relationships promotes a sense of camaraderie among your fellow residents, improving the community's overall atmosphere. If you want to contribute positively to your senior living community, consider these five ways you can set a great example of being a great neighbor.

1. Engage in Conversations

Striking up a conversation with someone in your senior living community is one the simplest yet most effective ways to be a great neighbor and make others feel welcome. Make it a point to say hello when you pass a fellow resident in a hallway, in a common area or anywhere around the community. You can even take it a step further and engage in small talk or ask questions to get to know your neighbors better.

If you’d like more opportunities to engage in conversations with residents you might not run into otherwise, host an informal get-together in a common area to share stories and a cup of coffee. Start a discussion with a resident you’ve yet to meet during a meal in the Woodburn Café or Grand Dining Room or at one of Falcons Landing’s many social gatherings.

Residents living in our independent living community at Falcons Landing are always up for friendly greeting in the hallway or lively and engaging conversations over coffee in our Compass Club.  No matter where or how you do it, regularly engaging in conversations is an excellent way to connect and learn from and about other residents in the community.

2. Extend a Helping Hand

Offering assistance to others is a kind gesture and another way to be a great neighbor and strengthen community bonds. You can extend a helping hand simply by offering to help a neighbor carry in their groceries or assisting a neighbor who struggles with new technology learn to be more tech-savvy.

You can take your neighborly assistance further by volunteering to collect mail or water plants when a nearby resident leaves to visit family or take a vacation. Offer to run errands for neighbors in the Johnson Center Assisted Living community who have mobility challenges or health issues. By extending a helping hand, you make life easier for your fellow residents and build a network of friendly neighbors willing to extend you a helping hand in return.

3. Keep Common Areas Tidy

Common areas in your Independent Living community, such as libraries, game rooms and fitness centers, are meant to be enjoyed by everyone. Keeping these areas tidy shows mutual respect and consideration for the community and other community members. You can be a good neighbor simply by cleaning up after yourself, such as replacing books on the library shelf or wiping off a piece of fitness equipment after using it. Maintaining cleanliness makes every shared environment more pleasant and welcoming for everyone.

4. Participate in Community Activities

Many residents at Falcons Landing have lots of things in common, including an adventurous spirit, so you should have no trouble finding community activities you enjoy. We offer an array of interest-based clubs, from crafts to investing, and wellness activities, from fitness classes to walking clubs. You can keep your mind mentally engaged with lectures or lifelong learning opportunities or just relax and hang out with friends and neighbors during afternoon teas or happy hours. No matter how you like spending your days, participating in various community activities offers an excellent way to interact with others, get to know your neighbors and form new friendships.

Not sure where to start? Join one of our resident-run committees to revisit old hobbies or find new ones with new friends you now call neighbors. These committees are committed to creating ever-changing activities for the community to ensure there’s something for everyone. If you love an activity that’s not already offered, start your own resident-run committee to share this passion and really get involved in community activities by starting a new one.

5. Respect Community Rules

Every senior living community has a set of rules designed to keep all residents safe and promote a peaceful and orderly environment. Respecting these rules is another way to be a good neighbor. For example, observing quiet hours and adhering to community policies regarding visitors promotes harmony among residents.

Taking the initiative to help new residents understand the community’s rules eases their transition into senior living and ramps up being a good neighbor twofold. Plus, when you uphold the community rules with a positive attitude, you inspire others to do the same and help promote an amicable atmosphere.

Building a Welcoming Community Together

Being a great neighbor in a senior living community involves everything from simple acts of kindness to positively contributing to the community as a whole. By helping promote a friendly, supportive environment, you enrich your life and the lives of those around you.

Our residents love meeting new people and introducing them to the Falcons Landing community. Falcons Landing is not just a place to live, it’s Family. If you’re interested in becoming a resident of our award-winning senior living community, give us a call at 703-404-5100.