Featured Article

A Place to Call Home in Your later Years

21 June 2019 | Living Well

How do you decide where to live in your 70’s and beyond?

It’s a question I’ve been asking friends recently. How life unfolds is unknown, but we do know that for older people energy wanes, joints stiffen and needs change. Quite apart from the physical changes in ageing there are also life changes. Approaching 70, there is a sense of freedom. This is the first time in our lives many of us are independent, free from work and mortgages and our time is largely our own. This not the reality for some older people and it may not be our reality in years to come but for now, in our seventies, life is rather terrific!

Over cups of tea with my neighbours, after complaints about the tourist traffic and the inadequacies of the local supermarket- the question of housing in our later years is often explored.  We swing between- “I’d love a small modern house with a low maintenance garden“or “We’re staying here. This is home. We’ll just add a few improvements.”

As I look around at a random survey of friend and acquaintances there are many different paths. There are so many exciting options. Some are staying put and redesigning their gardens & houses to make them low maintenance. Others have chosen to downsize and move into a “lock up and leave” apartment near public transport in or near a regional city. Yet others have chosen retirement communities for their safety and amenity such as golf courses, pools etc. Many friends have tree-changed or sea changed to get away from city life. A big fling adventure into a life they have always wanted.

 

 

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