Blue Chip Journal Issue 76

RETIREMENT
Making the big decision to move to a new home
can be one of the toughest aspects of ageing. It is,
understandably, hard to consider moving out of a
home where you have spent years, or an entire lifetime,
creating memories with your family.
It is human nature to cling to what is familiar and to even be
averse to moving to new surroundings. However, at some point,
there inevitably comes a transition point where seniors either
choose full-blown retirement or decide to adjust their lifestyle to
allow for more flexibility. For most retirees, this means moving out
of the family home.
Today, it is the Baby Boomer generation that is looking to retire.
They are, according to Prieshka Taylor, Head of Marketing for
Evergreen Lifestyle Villages, “confident, optimistic, independent
individuals who value innovation, self-reliance, accomplishment
and change”. Taylor explains that they are still living active lives and
showing no signs of slowing down.
“We are seeing a trend in the retirement industry in terms of
which the Baby Boomer generation wants more flexibility from
their retirement options. They want to lead active lives, and many
of them still work in some capacity and want to be able to downsize
in stages,” she says.
The traditional retirement home model – the aged home – does
not fit these requirements. Instead, the focus must be on matching
the lifestyle of the modern retiree with their personal life stages.
Demand for modern retirement estates
“It is for these reasons that retirement lifestyle estate developers
are providing villages with far more flexibility to meet the needs,
requirements and constraints of today’s working retirees,” says Taylor.
“Developers must stay on the ball to ensure retirees feel
comfortable about moving into a new environment, knowing that
they have everything they need to live a full and active life.”
She adds that one of the main concerns of retirees is financial
security. Evergreen Lifestyle estates operate on the life rights model,
Making the big decision to move
to a new home can be one of the
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