The conversations of life

43% of people feel vulnerable yet only 13% consider retirement communities

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If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s the value of control in our lives.

Australians have been isolated in their own homes for months. Understandably, many are starting to think about the future and what this looks like.

But are enough of us responding to this cue for action?

Our sister company DCM Research commissioned Australian Online Research (AOR) to identify the key emotions and attitudes that affect the accommodation decisions of people aged 60 to 85.

Take a look at that chart below.

These are the first results from our July quantitative analysis (2,271 online and telephone surveys).

As you can see, 43% of respondents are feeling an increased sense of vulnerability.

Interestingly though, this has only triggered an interest in retirement living options for 13% of respondents.

This goes back to the retirement village perceptions we reported on a few weeks ago.

The chart below illustrates this well:

Potential residents typically have a negative opinion on retirement villages, whereas people who’ve made the plunge into a retirement village see it as a positive environment.

The difference between what retirement communities are and what people perceive them to be is significant. This is a shame, particularly when you consider how they could serve as a safe harbour for many in this time of crisis.

Now is the time for people who feel vulnerable to explore their retirement living options. 

Hunkering down in the family home, waiting in fear for the trigger event, is living a life with an undercurrent of fear and anxiety, which is the opposite of control.

You can find out more retirement living at villages.com.au here.

Chris Baynes is a columnist and publisher of Frank & Earnest. He is also the publisher of Villages.com.au, the leading national directory of retirement villages and aged care services in Australia.


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