Retirement doesn’t mean vacating your community
Written by Stannah
Increased Choices for Living Arrangements
Life for those in their 80’s is better than it has ever been before. Typically retirees would remain in the family home until their health dictated a move to a nursing home where more specialised nursing and medical facilities could be on call if the need arise. There are now far more options available within their local communities.
Development of Lifestyle Villages
Lifestyle villages, enabled people to downsize their home but not their life. They had more time for leisure activities because they were no longer taking care of a huge house and grounds. They could get involved in the many community activities on offer while their medical and physical needs were taken care of. But everyone in these communities were aged 65 and above.
Retention of Independence
People are now seeking to stay in their community, where they have contact and relationships with people of all ages, even when it is no longer feasible for them to remain in the family home. They desire to stay close to their family and friends, maintain as much of their independence as possible and still be involved in their local community activities and daily routines wherever possible.
Benefits of Remaining in the Local Community
The benefits to remaining in their local community is better metal and physical health for the seniors as they have developed both a strong social bond and by extension psychological attachment to the area they have lived in for many years. The maintenance of friendships and social groups is of paramount importance for both the life and health of the ageing.
Multi-Age Developments in the Local Community
Developers of aged care facilities are recognising this fact and responding. However, they are needing to think more laterally as land is increasingly becoming more and more scarce and there is less and less of it to go around. Couples are downsizing from the family home into apartment living. Increasingly these are being built in local communities as well as the inner city.
Development Designed with Community Living in Mind
For those that need it the developments have been planned so that all the needs of the resident community can be met in the one place. However, they are designed to be attractive to a wide segment of the community, across all ages and abilities, so as to create a lively environment and community for all of its residents.
A Community within the Community
These developments have been designed to be a community within the community, to meet the changing needs of our ageing population. Multiuse buildings are being constructed, which house a variety of retirement living options, including both disability respite as well as dedicated disability housing. There are also retail stores and social and medical services, as well as a convention centre, meeting rooms and offices.
Active Living into Our Senior Years
We give our seniors a place that they can enjoy to call home, where their wisdom is considered and they are given the respect and honour they deserve by providing them with a place that caters to their whole person, which is the least we can do after all they have done to contribute positively to the society in which we live.