Is it a reflection of how spread apart we are today?
On our sister website villages.com.au we have noticed a big jump in the number of email requests for information from retirement villages, coming not from the couple or an individual who is thinking of moving themselves, but their children.
This is backed up by village marketing managers who are telling us that far flung kids are asking about vacancies for mum and dad because they, the kids, are ‘isolated’ in another town, city or country.
The pandemic has revealed to all of us that the safety nets we have all assumed will support us are not so, well, safe.
This was driven home early in the pandemic journey when we all were threatened to lose our supply of toilet paper. Remember how Coles and Woolworths had to restrict customers to over 60 years of age between 7am and 8am, so they got a chance to stock up?
As we get older, we can’t carry as much groceries so we have to go to the store more often.
Expand this simple fact to the many things we have to do in day-to-day life and we can understand how the COVID-19 restrictions can impact us. A week without toilet paper scared everyone back in March!
Several years ago we assisted a family member to join a retirement village for just these reasons. Now other ‘kids’ are doing the same, preparing for a less certain future.
As the slogan goes for retirement villages, it is a ‘wise move.’
