Our Top Four Benefits of Moving to a Retirement Village

Our Top Four Benefits of Moving to a Retirement Village

Are you looking forward to your retirement? If yes, have you thought about where you will be living? Most experts recommend making retirement plans early on, including most importantly, where you’ll live. Many Australian retirees are now choosing retirement villages as their home base, and gauging by reports released by the Property Council of Australia, by 2025, 7.5% of Australians over 65 will most likely be living in retirement housing. With the facilities and features retirement villages now offer, many people who want to settle down in their golden years find senior independent living options and benefits appealing. Retirement villages nowadays are specifically designed and well-thought-out and planned communities that cater to the needs of seniors and offer a wide range of facilities, services, and activities to help them maintain an active and engaging lifestyle. 

We’ll soon get to the top four benefits of moving into a retirement village, but first of all, this type of living for seniors offers a strong sense of community that also includes various recreational and social activities, excellent health care, and multiple lifestyle benefits. Not to mention, downsizing means fewer living expenses, and you’ll likely save time on chores like cleaning, maintenance, and yard care. This gives you more time to explore your interests and hobbies and enjoy family and friends.

Retirement villages also offer safety, security, and care support services as you age. All sounds good, doesn’t it?

But how do you know if this is the right senior living option for you? This is unquestionably a critical decision in your life, and you will need to carefully consider your ideal retirement lifestyle. In this post, we will look at the top benefits of retirement village living to help you make an informed and happy decision. Our top four benefits of moving to a retirement village.

1. Independence

Moving into retirement living increases the time the residents stay physically and intellectually independent. This is a massive benefit. According to a 2014 Property Council of Australia report, retirement village residents typically enter an aged care facility five years later than people who enter directly from their family home. This implies that people living in retirement villages have greater flexibility and autonomy for extended periods. Living in a retirement village offers older people a greater sense of emotional empowerment by allowing them to connect meaningfully with others while also enjoying a relaxed lifestyle. 

2. Sense of Community

Studies consistently show that engaging socially in your senior years has significant physical, mental, and emotional benefits. While social capital – the networks of relationships that give humans meaning through emotional connection and participation – has enormous health benefits for people of all ages, it is especially vital for seniors. Older Australians who are socially active reportedly:

•  live longer
• have more robust immune systems
•  are less likely to develop dementia
• are happier

Moving into a retirement village on the Lower North Shore of Sydney makes it easier for people who may feel socially isolated as family and friends move away, to make friends right on their doorstep, and meaningfully connect with others who share similar interests. These communities of like-minded Aussie seniors foster a strong sense of community among their residents. There’s no time to be bored, or lonely as they explore the many different classes and entertainment options at the retirement community they are considering.

3. Convenience

Unfortunately, as you age, housekeeping and chores around the house can become more complicated, dangerous, and stressful. If you feel overwhelmed with keeping up with the maintenance of your home, downsizing to a smaller space where you won’t have to perform the time-consuming chores makes perfect sense. While living in a retirement village, maintenance services are offered to their residents, including lawn care and home or apartment repairs. And to make life easier for seniors, retirement homes frequently have hand railings, non-slip mats and motion-sensor alarm systems installed. Basically, everything one needs at this stage in their life is thought of and catered for.

4. Flexibility

Retirement communities provide a wide range of lifestyle options. Villas or independent units are designed for people who require little to no assistance with daily activities such as meal preparation, laundry, or personal care services and can perform most tasks. However, one can always consider an assisted living unit in a retirement community if one requires assistance with daily chores. So many options are available for when residents may need them, pretty much right at their fingertips. And if their health changes unexpectedly and they need a higher level of care, a retirement village with an assisted living service will likely be able to accommodate them, making the transition as easy and smooth as possible and keeping residents living next to their friends and the staff they are familiar with.

Takeaways

Retirement villages based on the North Shore in Sydney are an excellent option for Sydney-based seniors seeking a quality, community-oriented, secure, and flexible living arrangement. Not to mention, enjoyable! It is essential to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision, and ultimately, the decision will depend on your needs, preferences, and financial situation. It is crucial to think about the options now, chalk out a retirement plan and discuss it with your loved ones so that everyone is on the same page. Then, when the time is right, you’re all ready to go and enjoy your new life stage.

Featured photo by Vlada Karpovich in Pexels