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Events in recent years, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have made us all reassess our priorities and what is most dear to us. For many, this means a renewed focus on health and wellbeing, keeping loved ones close, and having the support of a community.
If these are important to you too, then you need to understand how living in a retirement village can positively impact your health, your connection with loved ones and your sense of community.
Here are just eight of the ways retirement village living is good for your health and wellbeing.
Even before COVID-19, one in five older Australians was estimated to suffer from social isolation[1] which can negatively impact one’s mental health[2] and even lead to depression. The pandemic highlighted to the wider community just how important it is for our wellbeing to stay connected with each other.
Life in a retirement village is specifically designed to counter social isolation, and foster a sense of belonging and community. Residents have many opportunities to connect with each other through a range of social activities and events, which has a positive effect on health and wellbeing. Indeed, research[3] shows that 46% of residents report improved mental health after moving into a retirement village.
Living better and healthier is great, but what about living longer? A Swedish study [5] has shown that being socially active can add up to five years to the life expectancy for women, and six years for men.
Researchers studied 1800 people over 18 years, and found that several factors impacted longevity, including having healthy lifestyle behaviours, a better social network, and participating in more leisure activities.
The research is in – a retirement village is the perfect place to boost your longevity through social connections and involvement in sporting and social activities and interests.
We have learnt over the past few years that life can be unpredictable, whether it be a global pandemic or natural catastrophes, such as recent fires, floods and storms. Living in a retirement village like The Green can help ease the anxiety and stress of the unknown with the knowledge that you have a team around you who can support you in a crisis or emergency.
The RetireAustralia team regularly keep up-to-date with the latest health advice and emergency training, so that you’re secure and safe in the event of a crisis. Knowing that you have the support you need should something happen also reduces worry and improves your general wellbeing.
Research conducted by Rush University[6] has shown that people who are more socially active are less likely to become disabled. In other words, they’re less likely to need help with daily activities or mobility.
The good news is that researchers looked at a broad range of social activities, so whatever your interests, your social activities will have a positive impact. Researchers measured social activities like going to restaurants, playing bingo, volunteering, going on day or overnight trips, and visiting relatives and friends. With a busy social calendar on offer in all of our villages, you’ll be spoilt for choice in how you wish to stay active.
Retirement villages provide services that enable residents to have shorter hospital stays[7] – and fewer of them. In fact, retirement village residents leave hospital a full two days earlier than non-residents. That’s because retirement village residents can be discharged into a safe environment that’s equipped with hand railings, ramps, an emergency call system and on-site support staff.
What’s more, the social connectedness that’s inherent in a retirement village helps counteract problems of social isolation and depression when you’re homebound post operation. When you consider that two of the main factors[8] for hospitalisation in people over 60 are falls and depression, it’s no wonder that a safe and secure site and supported community helps keep retirement village residents out of hospital.
The Property Council of Australia estimates that over 65s visit their local GP about 6-7 times a year, but that residents in retirement villages make 1-3 fewer visits each year. They attribute this to the fact that many retirement villages have staff on-site who can assist with minor health concerns.
At The Green at Tarragindi, RetireAustralia’s brand new retirement village opening in Brisbane soon, residents can choose from a wide range of personalised in-home care services, helping make life a little easier and a lot more relaxed. Our caring and experienced team can help with household chores, meal preparation, showering, dressing, and medication support, to name a few.
Research shows that engaging in meaningful activities can reduce the risk of stress-related illnesses and dementia[9]. Specifically, activities with purpose – like music, drawing, meditation, reading, and arts and crafts – are particularly helpful in boosting health and wellbeing.
Our retirement villages offer ample opportunities to take part in social and leisure activities and The Green Tarragindi is no exception. Designed to maximise social connection, residents will be able to enjoy multi-purpose recreation facilities surrounded by friends, family and like-minded neighbours. Here, you’ll be part of close-knit community and can get to know your neighbours over a drink on the terrace, or by taking part in one of the regularly organised social events.
Would you like to hold off on moving into residential aged care? If the answer is yes, then living in a retirement village could be a good start.
A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that residents of retirement villages enter aged care later than those moving from the family home. This isn’t a matter of weeks or months, but years – an average of five years to be exact. This also means you get to enjoy the village facilities and lifestyle benefits of retirement living for longer.
