Why Are Life Plan Residents the Happiest Retirees?
Retirement is the time to start doing the things you love. The things that make you happy. Whether that’s trying new things, making new friends or doing something that gives you a sense of purpose and meaning. Research has shown that all these things can add to your overall happiness and improve your quality of life.
While you don’t necessarily have to move to a senior living community, a recently concluded Age Well Study found that older adults who live in a Life Plan Community, like Regency Oaks, were happier and enjoyed better health and wellness than those who lived at home. Part of that is because Life Plan Communities have a team of people to plan, prepare and schedule a calendar of events for you to choose from, making doing something with friends as easy as walking out your door.
What is the Age Well Study?
Designed in collaboration with Northwestern University, the Age Well Study is the only national longitudinal study evaluating the impact of living in a Life Plan Community on residents’ cognitive, physical and psychosocial health and well-being.
Age Well Study Year One Results
The Age Well Study compared the wellness outcomes of older adults living in Life Plan Communities vs. the Community-at-Large. 5,148 residents from 80 Life Plan Communities participated in the survey and here are some of the results:
- Self-reported health: On average, Life Plan Community participants rate their health between “good” and “very good.”
- Number of chronic conditions: Life Plan Community participants have on average about two chronic health conditions diagnosed by a doctor, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. The number of chronic health conditions is significantly lower for residents of Life Plan Communities compared to older adults in the Community-at-Large.
- Mood: Overall, Life Plan Community participants’ moods were generally positive over the last 30 days, and they tended to experience a more positive mood.
- Optimism/pessimism: Overall, Life Plan Community participants have higher levels of optimism and lower levels of pessimism than the comparison group, which suggests they have a positive outlook on the future.
- Stress: On average, Life Plan Community participants experience fairly low levels of stress, which suggests that they feel capable of handling current challenges in their lives.
- Intellectual wellness: Intellectual wellness involves expanding knowledge and skills through a variety of resources including creative activities which contributes to maintaining cognitive function. Among the Life Plan Community resident group, 96% of respondents reported reading a book or newspaper at least once per week.
- Social wellness: Social wellness emphasizes creating and maintaining healthy relationships by talking, sharing interests and actively participating in social events. Sixty-nine percent of residents reported that moving to a Life Plan Community “somewhat” or “greatly improved” their social wellness.
- Physical wellness: Physical wellness refers to regular engagement in physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, and appropriate utilization of health care, as well as engaging in healthy behaviors such as getting enough sleep and maintaining personal safety.
Age Well Study Year Three Results
In 2020, the study focused on factors associated with resident happiness and life satisfaction: 4,191 residents from 122 Life Plan Communities participated in the survey. Here are the results:
Social/communal factors and happiness and life satisfaction
Research shows that social interactions are vital for life satisfaction in those in the 55+ age group, and Life Plan Communities provide lots of socialization opportunities.
- Loneliness: Residents with greater loneliness were less happy and less satisfied with life.
- Social cohesion: Residents with a greater sense of social cohesion in their communities were happier and more satisfied with life.
- Community belonging: Residents with a greater sense of community belonging were happier and more satisfied with life.
Health and happiness and life satisfaction
Studies show that more physical activity and a healthier diet were associated with greater happiness. The Age Well study of Life Plan Communities – with their wellness programs, dieticians and chefs to create healthy, delicious meals – confirmed the results of these studies:
- Self-reported health: Residents with better self-reported health reported greater happiness and higher life satisfaction.
- Physical activity: Greater physical activity was associated with greater happiness, but it was not related to life satisfaction.
- Healthy diet: Residents who indicated that they had healthier diets tended to be happier and more satisfied with life.
Satisfaction with life domains
Approximately 92% of respondents were highly satisfied (either “very satisfied” or “completely satisfied”) with the place where they live, and 90% were highly satisfied with the city or town where they live. Most respondents were also highly satisfied with their daily life and leisure (85%), financial situation (82%) and family life (79%). Respondents reported lower satisfaction with health, with 60% highly satisfied.
Satisfaction with senior living community and happiness and life satisfaction
Among respondents, 91% were “completely” or “very” satisfied with their senior living community.
On a scale of 1 to 7, even the lowest scoring Life Plan residents rate happiness and life satisfaction at a 4.6 – with half of them giving it a 6+.
Overall Age Well Study Findings
The latest report from the study examines changes in the health and wellness of residents over five years compared to older adults from the community at large. The findings include these conclusions:
- Life Plan Community residents continued to report better physical, emotional, intellectual, social and vocational wellness than their community-at-large counterparts.
- From Years 1 to 5, social contact significantly increased for residents.
- Overall engagement in intellectual activities significantly increased for residents (including increased writing and attending education) and decreased for older adults in the community at large.
How Regency Oaks Helps You Enjoy Life More
At Regency Oaks, we take a holistic approach to your well-being. Here you’ll find a range of services and activities that balance your physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, vocational and environmental wellness:
- Group fitness classes in our state-of-the art fitness center
- Personal training classes
- Lifelong learning, including classes and lectures
- Arts and crafts instruction and woodworking projects
- Community flower and vegetable garden
- Happy Hours and music nights
- Outings to worship services, shopping excursions and local attractions
- 45+ interest groups including volunteer opportunities
True Happiness Starts with Where You Live
If you’re wondering how to be happy in retirement, one of the best types of retirement communities you should consider is a Life Plan Community. To learn more about the vibrant lifestyle at Regency Oaks and the art of loving life or how our Life Care contact protects you from the rising cost of health care, use our Community Assistant chat feature or contact us here.
