Although aging is inevitable, there is a multi-billion dollar anti-aging industry hard at work creating supplements, creams, brain exercises and diets trying to postpone it. No matter how long scientists toil in their laboratories for secret ‘youthanizing’ serums, the industry will never be able to replicate the best life-extenders that outperform all others in any study. Social support and engagement are priceless anti-aging agents that are proven to result in better brain health, increased feelings of well-being and the holy grail of longevity.

Those benefits automatically come with the nirvana of active community living at Diamond Oaks Village, a unique apartment community in Bonita Springs that is designed for active, independent adults 55 and up.

While Judy Tryka and Kathleen Horton feel that the luxurious, yet affordable, maintenance-free living, one-and two-bedroom spacious floor plans and upscale amenities are definitely attractive factors, the Diamond Oaks Village resident ambassadors jump at any opportunity to tell visitors about what really influenced their decisions to call it home.   

A widow for 17 years when she decided to sell her Naples condo, Tryka’s injured back muscle, which left her laid up for months, opened her eyes to the realization that it was time to make a change. “At that point, I realized that I was isolated and my possessions were doing nothing for me. I was lonely and knew that I needed socialization, to be with people and be involved in fun activities. It’s what keeps me from getting depressed. When I told my concierge doctor that I was moving here, he jumped up out of his chair and started clapping. He knew this was the best choice for me. I only regret that I waited so long to make such a great, life-changing decision,” she says.

Horton is married. “The move here was the best thing for Larry, a retired engineer. The fact that he doesn’t have to obsess over maintaining a perfect house and yard is better for his health. It has given him leisure time to make friends and get involved in things that he enjoys. We do things together and with other couples who live here. The village calendar is always jam-packed with so many great things to do,” notes Horton, who shares Tryka’s regret about waiting too long to make the move to an active independent living community.

“What people aren’t putting enough importance on is that they could be making friends, socializing and having fun living here. People don’t want to give up their home and seem to think that they have to be on the verge of needing to move into assisted-care living before they start looking at this kind of a lifestyle that offers something for everyone. We know from experience that if they came when they were more in their prime, they could would revel in all the benefits of this place and fully enjoy their golden years,” enthuse both Tryka and Horton.

Diamond Oaks Village offers everything under the sun in their award-winning signature Senior Umbrella Network (SUN) program. The seven-pronged model—health and wellness, finance, legal and administrative, education and lifelong learning, fun and recreation, convenience and economies, community and friendship, safety and security—provides residents with an array of services and activities designed to foster and support independent living and to enhance the active-senior lifestyle led by an onsite activities director.

“We walk our active, independent living talk here and live up to our tag line, ‘comfort, community, connection”, says field marketing manager Lisa Wilkinson. “We’re like a cruise ship on land, where friendship, fun and a sense of family are what truly sets us apart. I think everyone at some time in their life has had a dream of going luggage-free to an airport and deciding on the spot to buy a ticket to some exciting destination where they imagine the best of times await. We’re that destination.”

Diamond Oaks Village is located at 24110 S. Tamiami Tr., in Bonita Springs. To make an appointment for a personal tour, call 239-676-1259. For more information, visit DiamondOaksVillage.com.