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A survey conducted by\u00a0housing and care provider Anchor, reveals that living amongst neighbours who will \u2018pass the time of day\u2019 is one of the most significant contributors to happiness in retirement. And that living in a community in which people make eye contact, say hello or stop for a quick conversation was more significant than financial gain when making a downsizing move.<\/p>\n
The research report was designed to assess the most significant factors which contribute to feelings of happiness and wellbeing amongst downsizers in the UK today.<\/p>\n
Alison Frankel, 77, resident at Anchor\u2019s Bishopstoke Park, comments: \u201cIn my previous home, which I lived in for 22 and half years, I hardly knew my neighbours. I don\u2019t do any online social media or emailing, so face to face contact\u00a0is my way of socialising.<\/p>\n
“I always pass the time of day with neighbours I pass in the grounds or one of the corridors and make a particular point of doing so with those living with the first stages of dementia. Having a chat with a neighbour is so important for keeping the mind active. I look after my neighbour\u2019s pets whilst they are on holiday and it\u2019s nice to know that we live in a community in which there is a neighbourly sense of trust and care \u2013 we all help each other out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jane Ashcroft CBE, Chief Executive of Anchor, said: \u201cAlthough our retirement villages\u2019 on-site home care teams are an integral part of what we offer, we have found that residents help each other with small day-to-day tasks which may otherwise be outsourced to a carer.<\/p>\n
“Acts of neighbourly goodwill such as stopping by for a chat, or offering to help with feeding a pet or watering plants if a neighbour is going on holiday, may no longer\u00a0 be so commonplace in wider society. However, in our communities in which everyone is of similar age and like-mind, these small acts of kindness have become part of the social framework and mean the world to an older person, who may otherwise have to rely upon professional help for small chores or companionship.\u201d<\/p>\n
The importance of neighbourly goodwill also contributed to another of the key findings \u2013 that having non-familial support on hand can be preferable to living with family themselves. The residents surveyed reported that whilst moving into a relative\u2019s home or \u2018granny flat\u2019 annexe might make them feel like a burden, an independent home, with support in place, avoided feelings of guilt associated with putting a strain on family members.<\/p>\n
Independence to make decisions was also ranked highly as a key contributor to feelings of happiness in retirement, with those surveyed reporting that being able to continue to live a \u2018normal\u2019 life, in the same way as they had done prior to downsizing, was fundamental to their decision to move. Whilst few reported financial motivations as a key catalyst to deciding to downsize, the predictability of monthly outgoings which comes with moving to a contemporary development, was highly rated.<\/p>\n
Anchor is England\u2019s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care, providing services to almost 40,000 older people in over 1,000 locations. The focus group research was carried out at Hampshire Lakes, one of the provider\u2019s three retirement villages. Hampshire Lakes is set in woodlands alongside Yateley Lakes, between Yateley and Sandhurst, in Hampshire.\u00a0 The development includes 74 independent living apartments (one and two bed) and a 36 room care home, Willow Gardens, on site.<\/p>\n
The second phase of the development will add a further 45 apartments (one and two bed) to the village. At the heart of Hampshire Lakes is the village centre, the focal point of community life, which includes Senses, a state-of-the art Wellness Centre and Spa, with its indoor pool and first-class gymnasium. Adjacent to the Wellness Centre sits the Lakeside Bistro, Zest Juice Bar and Cotton\u2019s Delicatessen. The luxurious development facilities also include a hair dressing salon, library and landscaped gardens. The domiciliary care research encompasses analysis across Hampshire Lakes, Bishopstoke Park and Denham Garden Village. www.anchor.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [et_pb_section bb_built=\"1\"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"3.0.89\" background_layout=\"light\"]<\/p> Friendly neighbours key to happiness in older age<\/strong><\/p> - Having neighbours who will \u2018pass the time of day\u2019 valued as one of most important factors of a successful downsizing move by today\u2019s over 55s<\/strong><\/p> - Home care delivered falls by nearly 30 per cent in age exclusive developments, where strong neighbourly bonds underpin the community <\/strong><\/p> New research, from not-for-profit housing and care provider Anchor, has revealed that living amongst neighbours who will \u2018pass the time of day\u2019 is one of the most significant contributors to happiness in retirement. Those surveyed reported that living in a community in which people make eye contact, say hello or stop for a quick conversation was more significant than financial gain when making a downsizing move.<\/p> Accompanying analysis shows that hours of domiciliary care delivered fall by 29.6 cent when comparing the national average to that of age-exclusive communities. Over 65s receiving home care in the UK are visited by a carer for an average of 7.1 hours per week[1]<\/a>. At Anchor\u2019s retirement villages, where the average age is 81, those in receipt of home care receive an average of 5 hours of care per week.<\/p> Retirement villages offer the opportunity for valuable face-to-face conversation over online contact which is increasingly normalised for everyday interactions in wider society. Although nearly a quarter of over 65s in the UK use the internet for social media, this group still values being on friendly terms with neighbours,\u00a0 with those surveyed stating that this built a feeling of mutual trust and understanding with those around them.<\/p> Alison Frankel, 77, resident at Anchor\u2019s Bishopstoke Park, comments: \u201cIn my previous home, which I lived in for 22 and half years, I hardly knew my neighbours. I don\u2019t do any online social media or emailing, so face to face contact\u00a0is my way of socialising. I always pass the time of day with neighbours I pass in the grounds or one of the corridors and make a particular point of doing so with those living with the first stages of dementia. Having a chat with a neighbour is so important for keeping the mind active. I look after my neighbour\u2019s pets whilst they are on holiday and it\u2019s nice to know that we live in a community in which there is a neighbourly sense of trust and care \u2013 we all help each other out.\u201d<\/p> Jane Ashcroft CBE, Chief Executive of Anchor, said: \u201cAlthough our retirement villages\u2019 on-site home care teams are an integral part of what we offer, we have found that residents help each other with small day-to-day tasks which may otherwise be outsourced to a carer. Acts of neighbourly goodwill such as stopping by for a chat, or offering to help with feeding a pet or watering plants if a neighbour is going on holiday, may no longer\u00a0 be so commonplace in wider society. However, in our communities in which everyone is of similar age and like-mind, these small acts of kindness have become part of the social framework and mean the world to an older person, who may otherwise have to rely upon professional help for small chores or companionship.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> New research reveals that living among friendly neighbours is the key to happiness in retirement A survey conducted by\u00a0housing and care provider Anchor, reveals that living amongst neighbours who will \u2018pass the time of day\u2019 is one of the most significant contributors to happiness in retirement. And that living in a community in which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":21567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"