Why are Retirement Community Residents Happier?

Happiness is the ultimate goal in life. No matter your age, the goal is always to find peace and happiness in every stage of life. And, as you enter into your retirement years, finding this happiness becomes even more important.

But, there are always things that can get in the way. Maintaining a home, paying bills and keeping track of responsibilities can all lead to unnecessary stress. This begs the question, is there a better option to make sure you find your happiness in retirement? A recent study shows that living in a retirement community might just be the answer.

The Stats on Senior Living

A recent study from ProMatura has definitively found that people who live in retirement communities are overall happier than older adults who remain at home or with a relative. For the survey, 2,799 residents in senior living communities were polled and 1,111 non-residents also participated.

Below are some of the surprising stats:

55% of retirement community residents agreed or strongly agreed that their quality of life was higher than a year ago.
Only 19% of non-senior living residents felt their quality of life was higher than the year before.
61% of residents said their health was about the same since they moved into a community and 10% reported their health had even improved.
Senior living residents were five times as likely to engage in activities, social events and exercise.

If you haven’t considered a retirement community in the past, these stats might just cause you to change your mind. There are a lot of conveniences provided at high-quality communities that are specifically designed to help seniors get more joy out of life. And clearly, it’s making a difference.

Things to Consider About Retirement Communities

Sometimes retirement communities get a bad reputation because they are associated with a loss of independence. But what’s important to understand, and what this study reiterates, is that retirement communities are designed to offer you greater freedom and more independence.

By offering you more time to explore the finer things in life, you can focus on your overall health and wellness instead of everything that comes along with owning a home. Senior living communities can provide the opportunity:

To meet new people and make friends
To pursue lifelong learning and discover new hobbies
To reignite old passions and interests
To get into a regular, healthy exercise routine and enjoy the great outdoors
To enjoy new culinary experiences that are healthy and delicious
To reconnect with family outside of a caregiver relationship
To enjoy peace of mind that your needs are met now and well into the future

Ultimately, when it comes to your retirement, the best way to find happiness is to make a choice that fits your goals. If your goal is to remain on your own for as long as possible, then staying put might make more sense. But if your goal is to pursue your interests and focus your attention on what matters to you the most, you might find greater happiness at a retirement community. The key is finding the right one to fit your lifestyle.

Enjoy a Carefree Lifestyle at St. Joseph of the Pines

St. Joseph of the Pines offers a full continuum of care for residents. That means we offer a diverse range of services, amenities, and activities that suit your lifestyle now and will adapt as your needs may change in the future. We offer a variety of living options and floor plans to help you find something that is specifically tailored to what you envision for your retirement years. Take a tour of our Belle Meade or Pine Knoll campus and see if you could picture yourself as a resident in our Southern Pines community.