There is no one size fits all when it comes to knowing when the best time is to move into a retirement village. Everyone has varying needs and circumstances at different times of their lives.
There are many factors to consider including the age criteria for a retirement village, what amenities and care options they offer, the price and other financial considerations, location and of course how you feel about moving in.
Michelle Allan, The Sterling Sales Manager, has found that people can often misinterpret retirement living as the old fashioned rest homes from years past. They worry they’re going to lose their independence and not have a say on how they live their life. The reality of today’s retirement living is quite different – you are free to live your life, your way.
You are encouraged to continue living your life however you choose, with the peace of mind that you have support and care whenever it is needed and you are surrounded by a like-minded community. You can have friends and family around for dinner, bring your pets, have your grandchildren stay over and go on trips as you please.
Why should I move into a Retirement Village early?
More time to do the things you love. Something important to remember when weighing up the best time to move, is that retirement village living is there for you to enjoy, to make your life easier, but never to change it. This means it is to your advantage to move in as soon as you can.
Moving into a retirement village before you feel the need for aged care, gives you the choice to live wherever you want and allows you to enjoy the surrounding amenities and activities to the fullest. In fact, research shows that people moving before this point, need aged care on average 5 years later than those that stay in their family home. This is due to the reduction of stress caused by managing a property and your health without support.
The Sterling Director, Alan Edwards believes that “living in a retirement village enhances your independence because there are less concerns for you to think about. You have more free time because you are not responsible for exterior maintenance, you don’t have to engage contractors to carry out maintenance work, you just leave it to us!”
You can spend that extra time doing the things you love and trying new activities or learning a new skill. At The Sterling you can tell us what you wish to pursue and we will make it a reality for you.
Making the move before you need specialist care also benefits family and friends, taking the pressure off them to make a conflicting decision. Michelle says, “Planning ahead is worth considering before it becomes a necessity, this gives you the choice to live where you want and removes the pressure from your loved ones, to make that decision on your behalf”.
According to the Retirement Villages Association the most common phrase they hear from existing residents is “I wish I had made the decision to move sooner.”
Peace of mind
You can have peace of mind knowing that everything is taken care of. One of the pieces of feedback that Alan has received during his many years in the retirement industry is “we love that there are staff on site 24/7 and therefore we have peace of mind if something was to go wrong.”
At The Sterling, if you are finding it difficult to maintain your garden, we will take care of it. If you have an unexpected fall or medical event anywhere within the village, we will have the technology to ensure at all times a staff member will be notified and be able to respond to you quickly. If you want to enjoy an activity or organise an event, that is no problem we will be on hand to help facilitate it for you. If you travel often, you have the perfect lock and leave, with the peace of mind that your home and belongings are well looked after.
Access to multilevel care
Living in a retirement village with both independent living and care facilities allows you to have access to any level of care as soon as you need it. At The Sterling, if you simply need help managing medications, our staff can easily assist with that, or should your circumstances change and you need a higher level of care, we can also assist with that, with our 24 hour care suites and specialised memory care homes. This full continnum of care provides peace of mind so you can seamlessly transition into the various types of care as and when you need it, without the worry of having to move to a new place.
Increased health benefits
Retirement village living leads to increased physical and mental wellness from the freedom to pursue the things you enjoy. Living with like-minded people and maintaining social connectedness improves overall mental health and cognitive function, resulting in increased physical health and a lower risk of developing dementia. You can feel safe being yourself, talk openly without fear of judgement and always have people to inspire and motivate you.
At the Sterling, we see the benefits for retirement village living for residents and believe whole-heartedly that everyone deserves to live their best lives in their later years, and reward themselves for all their years of hard work. At the end of the day, it is about what you feel is the right choice for you, your future self, and your loved ones. If you think retirement living sounds like something that could enhance your life, come and visit Michelle to explore the options we have at The Sterling, Kaiapoi.
