Independent living or retirement living is based on a large-scale community focused on an active and entertaining lifestyle. The service provided is suited for residents entering "retirement" requesting all the full amenities of a resort-type lifestyle. Some retirement living community amenities can include arts and crafts, boating, golf, swimming pools, tennis, and clubhouses.

Many of these communities can also offer long-term continuing care that provides for housing, residential services, and nursing care, usually in one location, and usually for a resident's lifetime.