Retirement – it’s a time in life that many of us are looking forward to. The idea of being free from the constraints of work, having time to spend as you please, and the opportunity to travel, visit family or achieve lifelong goals is seductive. And for many people, the best place to do all these things is within a retirement community.

What is a retirement community?

A retirement community is a complex of houses owned (or sometimes leased) by older people or retirees who want to remain independent by living in their own home, but wish to access the benefits of community living. Such communities are specifically designed for seniors who want to continue to enjoy being physically, socially and mentally active. These seniors are looking for a maintenance-free lifestyle, social connections and access to convenient activities, services and amenities. Retirement communities attract independent retirees who are able to live on their own with minimal assistance, and who want to downsize and live a freer lifestyle. They offer independence, flexibility, choice, freedom, safety and security – as well as all the benefits of community living.

The importance of community

The important thing to emphasise here is “community”. You’re not just retiring to your own house to do your own thing and live independently. You’d be retiring to a built-in community of like-minded people of a similar age. And that can have enormous benefits for older people.

Loneliness and isolation are reaching endemic levels for older people, with huge percentages of older Australians reporting feeling more isolated and lonely as they age. While this is somewhat to be expected, as loved ones and friends pass on and family members move away, it can have a significant negative impact on the health of older people.

Studies have repeatedly shown that lonely and isolated older people tend to experience less life satisfaction, live a lower quality of life and actually die earlier than their more engaged peers. They also tend to experience depression and other mental health issues far more frequently and severely.

There are enormous physical, mental and emotional benefits to remaining socially active in your senior years. Socially active seniors enjoy many benefits, including:

• A stronger immune system
• A lower risk of dementia
• Better mental health
• Longer life
• Greater feelings of happiness and wellbeing

Clearly, it’s important to maintain social activity as much as possible as you get older. But, as outlined before, that can become increasingly difficult as the loved ones in your life move or pass on. And we all know how hard it can be to meet new people and make new friends the older you get. This becomes increasingly difficult after you’ve retired, when you no longer have the day-to-day contact and socialising with workmates that you used to have. Before you know it, your previous friendships are becoming distant and your social opportunities have slowed to a trickle.

Which is where retirement communities really come into their own. A good retirement community will do away with the problems of loneliness and isolation, by providing a built-in community for seniors to live and socialise with. It’s hard to stay isolated when you’re surrounded by potential companions – some of whom may become lifelong friends. Plus, to make it even easier to form friendships, you’ll have access to community facilities and plenty of activities to join in with if you desire to. There’s nothing like common interests and shared activities to form a bond, and before you know it, you’ll be feeling part of a much bigger community.

The community feel of retirement villages can drastically improve seniors’ quality of life and feelings of wellbeing. Plus, there’s usually a much greater community feel among retirement village residents than you’d find among occupants of a standard residential neighbourhood.

Too much community?

And if you’re a more introverted person, that’s okay too. You’re free to be as engaged with the community as you wish – and only when you feel like it. You’re still an independent person living in your own home, and your level of involvement is entirely up to you. The social butterflies can fully embrace community life, but if you’re more of an introvert, you can be involved with the community at a level you’re comfortable with. You’ll really have the best of both worlds in a retirement community – the chance to live independently, but also to be part of a community when you choose to be.

To discover one of the best retirement communities in NSW, have a look at the Alumuna complex here: https://www.alumuna.net.au

To read more about the best things about community retirement living, click here: https://www.alumuna.net.au/community-retirement-living/