Community is the key factor in determining how long you will live, according to a new US study.
The researchers from Penn State, West Virginia, and Michigan State Universities wanted to explore why, despite years of medical advances, American life expectancy recently declined for the first time in decades.
Because life expectancy in the US varies depending on where people live, they knew that the answer had to be at the community level.
Looking at how life expectancy has changed from 1980 to 2014 across 3,000 US counties, they found a range of similarities between areas where people tended to live longer – namely, a growing population, access to doctors and a greater level of social cohesion.
“Places with residents who stick together more on a community or social level also appear to do a better of job of helping people in general live longer,” NERCRD Director Stephan Goetz, professor of agricultural economics and regional economics at Penn State and a co-author on the study, said.
Where will you find this kind of community? In a retirement village or land lease community, of course.
Villages and LLC’s are tailored towards helping people age in place, with social activities and home care services all delivered into the community.
Most importantly, these communities offer a ‘buffer’ against social isolation and loneliness – which is the key risk factor for a range of health conditions including dementia, high blood pressure and early death.
If you would like to find out more about the retirement community options that are available, visit Villages.com.au here.
