With reports showing that young Australians are leaving Sydney in order to start a family, one company has predicted an exodus of future grandparents will follow.
Ingenia Communities' executive manager development and sales Von Slater said the company's over-55s residential communities across NSW coastal areas have seen an uptake of grandparents moving to the area to be closer to family.
"We're seeing a new generation of grandparents who are still living fit, healthy lifestyles and want to be an active part of their children and grandchildren's future."
Ms Slater said housing for older Australians within the state's regional areas needed to be prioritised in preparation of future grandparents following their children out of the city.
"We currently have plans for an additional 1272 homes for the over-55s demographic in NSW from the Port Stephens region to Newcastle, Plantations at Woolgoolga, Anna Bay and Morisset near Lake Macquarie.
"There is still so much more that needs to be done. Purpose-built, age and lifestyle-appropriate communities are just one of many options available to cater to this growing group. As affordability drives more young families out of the city, more seniors will want to follow."
Top priority
Principal social researcher Mark McCrindle from McCrindle Research said a survey of 1000 grandparents commissioned by Futurity Investment Group found grandparents place significant importance on building strong relationships with their grandchildren.
"For 79 per cent of grandparents, spending quality time with grandchildren is a top priority," he said.
"Grandparents are motivated to be involved with their grandchildren's lives by the importance they place on family, the love they have for their grandchildren and a desire to share life experiences and teach them important life values."
Research showed at least one in four grandparents with a grandchild aged under 13 years were providing childcare at least once a week.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 775,000 people aged over 55 years looking after other people's children in the 2021 Census.
Family important
"COVID-19 really made people realise the importance of being close to your family. That's a motivator for many of our current residents and many of them often bring their grandkids over to the community to babysit and care for them," Ms Slater said.
"We've got great clubhouse facilities that allow residents to catch up for a coffee, join in on activities like yoga, gym and swimming and socialise over billiards or arts and craft.
"Many of these also appeal to the grandkids whenever they come to visit nan and pop.
"In fact, our Natura community at Port Stephens has a sensory garden, an educational flora and fauna habitat with QR codes designed specifically to help residents to interact with their grandkids."
Ingenia Lifestyle Latitude One's newest resident Fran Spring recently moved from Western Sydney to be closer to her family.
The grandmother of 15 wanted to be more involved in her children and grandchildren's lives, while also helping one of her daughters with regular childminding duties.
"My daughter was recently told she needed to go back to work fulltime. I'm lucky to be able to support her by taking care of her son every Monday for the next six months or so and I'm looking forward to spending that quality time with him," Ms Spring said.
"Spending time with my grandkids gives me a great sense of joy and fulfilment. The facilities at Latitude One will mean that my grandson can come over and be entertained by the pool, and clubhouse, there are even chickens and a veggie patch."
Therese Murray
Wordsmith. Senior journalist. Editor. I have a proven track record in helping people and communities solve their problems. My career is all about telling stories.
Wordsmith. Senior journalist. Editor. I have a proven track record in helping people and communities solve their problems. My career is all about telling stories.
