Home truth: retirement communities are a healthy choice
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A healthy lifestyle is increasingly important as you age. Nutrition, exercise and strong social ties all help to keep you well but your home can play a role too. Especially, if it is purpose-built to support good health.
Retirement villages and resorts are designed to meet the changing physical needs of residents as they age. Clear sightlines, level floors and wider corridors support ageing in place, while communal gardens and well-maintained footpaths make outdoor settings safe and accessible.
They also offer an active, engaged lifestyle in a vibrant social setting. These factors combine to help residents stay healthier for longer.
Research conducted by consulting company Grant Thornton in 2014, shows that village residents visit their GP less often and spend fewer days in hospital than their peers in the general community. They also enter aged care five years later on average.
These outstanding results come as no surprise to the Property Council's Retirement Living executive director Ben Myers. He says retirement communities offer a unique range of health and social benefits.
Mr Myers cites the 2020 PWC/ Property Council Retirement Census, saying "90% of existing villages and an even higher number (94%) of new villages have five or more facilities, like cafes, craft rooms and men's sheds, pools, movie theatres, libraries and gyms".
He says these amenities contribute significantly to the "overall health and happiness" of residents.
Retirement living supports a congenial lifestyle while "reducing the risk to living at home safely", Mr Myers says.
"People can live independently but have a much better outcome in terms of social engagement."
His view is endorsed by the residents themselves. The DCM Longitudinal National Resident Survey conducted in 2020 found that 43% of residents experienced improved mental, physical and financial wellbeing since moving into a village or resort.
Additionally, 50% experienced improved happiness and life satisfaction three years after moving in, 83% felt safer in a village, and 90% would not move back to their previous home even if home care were provided.
That's some satisfied customers! So, where can you find a home that prioritises your wellbeing? A good place to start is at one of the many Retirement Expos held regularly throughout the country.
These free events feature Australia's most respected retirement living operators representing communities of every type and price point - all under one roof. Visitors are encouraged to take their time and engage directly with staff to discover all the benefits of life in a retirement village or resort.
To find the next retirement living expo near you go to Retirementexpo.com.au. This website is dedicated to helping seniors discover everything they need to know about retirement living from pricing and availability to regulation and government resources.
Visit retirementexpo.com.au today to take your first step on the journey to a happier and healthier retirement.
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