A Senior’s Guide to Aging Well in Philadelphia

Today’s seniors are all about staying active, building vibrant communities and connecting with their family—here’s our guide to doing all that and more. After all, we all age, so why not age well?

Philadelphia magazine is compiling a guide to the area’s premier senior living resources. Read our 2025 guide here. Plus, take a look at the Philadelphia area’s premier providers of home health care, assisted living and more using  Find it/Philly Senior Living Directory.

It Takes a Village

The secret to senior wellness? Community. Here’s how senior living communities can improve the well-being of older adults. Senior living communities are more than just housing—they’re places where you can plant roots and flourish throughout your golden years. From state-of-the-art amenities and social activities to five-star dining, senior living communities not only ensure residents’ physical needs are met but prioritize their emotional well-being as well. And if you opt for a life plan community, you’ll be guaranteed a continuum of care should you need to move from independent to assisted living and skilled nursing care. Here are some ways community living can help you thrive as you age.

A Place to Grow Your Interests

Whether you’re passionate about your garden or hitting the gym, you can find a senior living community that will sup- port your hobbies and interests. Most communities offer a variety of ways to engage in physical activity, supporting all levels of mobility. From high-intensity running groups to gentle yoga and group walks, these mood-boosting activities can help you clear your mind and improve your overall wellness. Communities also fill residents’ calendars with educational classes, enrich- ment programs and workshops, offering opportunities to foster your interests and learn (or teach) something new.

A Sense of Community

In a senior living community, you’ll never feel alone. As the name suggests, communities offer residents the opportunity to be a part of a group, giving them a greater sense of belonging. Several studies show that older adults who live in a community report having stronger social connections as well as feeling more engaged, happier and healthier. From arranging social outings to offering clubs and other activities, senior living communities are always looking for new ways to encourage social connections between residents. You’ll also find that your voice matters, too. Many campuses encourage residents to take on leadership positions, helping them strengthen their ties to the overall community.

Security and Peace of Mind

As we age, our physical and mental health needs often shift. That uncertainty about how the future will look can instill anxiety, but it doesn’t have to. In a life plan community, a continuum of care means that your needs can be met where you’re at. In a life plan community, residents receive increased care as needed and often at no extra cost. Life plan communities may also offer on-site resources like physical and occupational therapy and memory support. You’ll also have access to emergency call systems—should any accident occur. Having a plan in place for long-term health care needs will not only be a relief for you, but for your loved ones as well.

Prioritizing Sleep and Sweet Dreams

Sleep can be trickier as we age. Here’s how you can make your nighttime more restful.

A good night’s sleep is important at any age, but even more so as a senior. Poor sleep habits can cause memory and attention issues, fall risks, a weakened immune system and more. Here are three common sleep problems that can affect you as you age and solutions to help improve the quality and quantity of rest you get.

Circadian Rhythm

As we age, our internal clock shifts, causing seniors to go to bed and wake earlier. Former night owls who resist their body’s internal cue to go to bed earlier may find that they still wake up on the earlier side, meaning they don’t meet those required 7-8 hours of rest. The solution? Listen to your body and hit the hay earlier if you’re tired. If you have programs you like to watch late at night, consider getting a DVR to record them or subscribe to a streaming service that plays them the following day. Also aim for morning light exposure, about 10-30 minutes of direct sunlight within the first hour of waking. It signals the brain that it’s morning, which helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle. If you find yourself waking at 3-4 in the morning, get outside around 7-8 a.m. to help shift your sleep to a later wake time.

Sleep Apnea

Loud snoring isn’t just disruptive to your loved one’s shut eye, it could be a symptom of sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. With obstructive sleep apnea, relaxed muscles in the back of the throat block the airway during sleep. Central sleep apnea results from the brain failing to send proper signals to the breathing muscles. Symptoms of both include loud snoring, feeling exhausted during the day, problems concentrating and morning headaches. If you have any of these symptoms or if a loved one has concerns about your breathing at night, a sleep study can determine if you have sleep apnea, which can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. Fortunately, sleep apnea is treatable with a CPAP machine, which pumps pressurized air through a mask to keep your airways open all night. Lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and losing weight can also help. And, the FDA recently approved GLP-1 weight loss drugs for the treatment of sleep apnea.

Constant Waking

Falling asleep may be easy for you, but what about staying asleep? As we age, many health issues can wake us throughout the night, making it challenging to achieve optimum sleep. This can include acid reflux, frequent trips to the bathroom, arthritis pain and anxiety. If you think a health issue is compromising your rest, talk to your doctor about tackling the issue head on. For reflux, you can take prescription medicines to reduce stomach acid. Also, avoid food and drink several hours before bed, and elevate your head during sleep to relieve symptoms. If you’re in the bathroom much of the night, talk to your doctor to see if it is caused by a treatable medical condition, and stop drinking fluids a few hours before bed. For arthritis, consider using a memory foam mat- tress that will relieve pressure points. And anxiety can be eased with calming bed routines like breathing exercises, journaling, meditation and white noise machines.

How to Bridge the Generational Gap in a Digital World

If your grandkids keep their eyes on their phones constantly, you’re not alone. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are all about technology and probably speak a language that seems foreign to you. But modern tech can make connecting with friends and family—even people who live far away—easy. Here are a few tried-and-true ways to connect with your kids and grandkids in a digital world.

Texting

Chatting on the phone is a wonderful way to connect, but sending a text message is another quick and easy communication method—and one younger generations prefer. Because texting doesn’t require the person to come to the phone right away, it can be a great way to send a short note or ask a question, especially when reaching out to people in different time zones.

Facebook and Instagram (A.K.A. Meta)

Facebook is a popular social media platform used by millions of people to connect to friends and family; Instagram is its photo-centric younger cousin. While Facebook is popular with older users—about one-third of Americans 65 and older have a Facebook account—Instagram tends to skew younger, which is where you’ll probably find your grandkids. Facebook offers instant messaging and video calls through its Messenger tool, while Instagram offers direct messaging. On Instagram, you’ll be able to see and interact with photos showcasing your grandkids’ lives, and at the top of your feed, you’ll find Instagram stories, which provide little snippets of a person’s day that disappear after 24 hours.

TikTok

You may have heard about TikTok in the news because of its possible ban, but until it goes away it will be the most popular app with kids and teens (and, let’s face it, many middle- aged adults). Once you sign up, you’ll be brought to your FYP (For You Page), where the app’s incredibly accurate algorithm will deliver short videos it thinks you will enjoy. While you can add your own videos, it’s not required—many users connect with friends and family by sending poignant, funny or informative videos to each other. One warning: Be judicious with how many you send them.

FaceTime

Live video chats are another fun way to connect. Using software like Apple’s FaceTime, you can wave hello to a loved one who lives far away, admire a grandchild’s latest artwork, or take a tour of a niece’s new apartment. FaceTime is free but requires an iPhone, iPad or Apple computer.

Fitness

Being in nature is a life-long pastime, and you don’t have to be an avid hiker to enjoy the great outdoors. There are plenty of serene parks and trails in and around Philadelphia with accommodations for all different preferences and physical needs. Here are three scenic and senior-friendly parks that everyone can enjoy.

Fairmount Park Horticultural Center

This West Fairmount Park spot rests on the grounds of the former Horticultural Hall (built for the 1876 Cen- tennial Exposition), and it’s a wonderful place for serenity. Here, you can ad- mire the park’s great variety of trees and native plants from sunrise to sunset.

MLK Drive

Along the west side of the Schuylkill River is a four-mile-long trail perfect for a scenic riverside walk. During the spring, you can enjoy cherry blossoms and magnolia trees in bloom.

Wissahickon Valley Park

To spend more time with nature itself, the 2,000-acre Wissahickon Valley Park is the place to visit. The park’s seven- mile-long main trail, Forbidden Drive, is flat and made up of packed gravel, making it fairly accessible. If visiting in the spring, bring your binoculars—there are dozens of bird species to watch out for.