Δ
It might seem hard to believe, but where you live can impact your health just as much as how you live – and having community connection makes a tangible difference to your quality of life.
We’ve put together six reasons why retirement living is good for you.
While each of our retirement villages is unique, they all offer genuine community, social connectedness, and a sense of belonging.
This is important because humans are social creatures, even those who prefer their own company need a sense of connection to thrive.
As part of a RetireAustralia community, you’ll have ample social activities to choose from, from happy hours to lawn bowls, movie nights to craft groups. There’s something for everyone but it’s entirely up to you how much, or how little, you take part in.
Either way, you’ll be part of a diverse and supportive community. And, as the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index reports, this has a positive impact on our wellbeing[1].
Our village teams have reported countless instances of residents’ health improving after moving into a retirement community.
And now there’s research to back up this anecdotal evidence. In a survey of Australian retirement village residents, 27% reported their physical health improved after moving in[3].
This could be for countless reasons, including more social interaction, feeling safe and secure, and better nutrition*.
Research shows that loneliness can have an adverse effect on physical health, and is linked with impaired immune functioning, unhealthy behaviours, and physical inactivity[4].
On the flipside, retirement living is good for you because villages have been specifically designed to improve health and wellbeing. In other words, our communities are purpose-built to counter social isolation and foster a sense of belonging and connectedness. Our vibrant activity calendars also offer whatever it is that sparks your interest and keeps your body and mind active.
This brings us to improved mental wellbeing. In many ways, it’s hard to separate physical and mental health because they’re so inter-linked.
It’s also important to be aware that older people are more susceptible to common triggers for anxiety and depression[5]. Beyond Blue reports that these triggers include physical illness, chronic pain, and personal loss.
The good news is that having strong community connections can not only provide people happiness, support and a sense of purpose, but it can help stave off anxiety and depression.
Many residents tell us that safety and security is at the top of their list, and one of the key motivators behind moving into a retirement village.
Residents feel safer in a retirement village for lots of different reasons, but we most often hear that people feel more secure because they:
Retirement village living also gives extra assurance to family members who may not live close by.
We’ve already touched on physical health, but it’s important to think about your future care needs, even if you’re currently fit and active. One of the main benefits of retirement living is having a safety net if your health changes down the track. You can rest easy, knowing we have you covered if you fall ill, get injured, or need extra care and support:
This brings us to our final point – a low-maintenance lifestyle. This is especially important if you have a large family home that’s become a burden to maintain.
In a retirement community, you don’t have to worry about maintenance or gardening. If you have a leaking tap or your light bulb blows let our village team know and we will take care of it**. This means you can kick back in the community centre overlooking lush green gardens – without having to fire up the lawnmower. Having gardening and maintenance taken care of allows you the time and space to spend more time on what you love, whether that’s playing with your grandkids, golfing or reading.
If you’d like to talk to residents first-hand to find out what they love most about retirement living, simply find your closest retirement community and book a tour.
