Loneliness: How to avoid the dark side of retirement
As we get older, we are more likely to suffer illness and disability which can prevent us from getting out and about. Individual’s social networks often shrink due to life-changing events such as retirement and / or bereavement which can increase the risk of becoming chronically lonely.
According to the Campaign to End Loneliness, there are 800,000 people in England who are chronically lonely. Some 5 million people say television is their main form of company!
- 800,000 people in England suffer from chronic loneliness (Campaign to End Loneliness)
- With lack of kin-based social support, friendships become crucial social connections for many LGBT elders
- The Villages Group – Rainbow offers a solution to end loneliness in retirement
Whether an older adult will enjoy a happy and satisfying retirement or not are questions of growing concern as thousands of baby boomers grow older.
Danny Silver, Managing Founder of The Villages Group – Rainbow, Europe’s first active LGBT retirement village for the over 50s comments,
“As baby boomers enter their retirement years, the services geared toward elder needs will have to adapt to accommodate them. Any demographic as large as the boomer generation will inevitably include a significant LGBT contingent so services for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender seniors will also need to adapt or develop to combat isolation in retirement.
“Here at The Villages Group – Rainbow we are extremely conscious of the need to provide the kind of environment that has not presently been available to the LGBT community across Europe. Because of the lack of kin-based social support, friendships become crucial social connections for many LGBT elders and we have made sure to provide a LGBT friendly village environment for like-minded individuals with daily activities to suit all, combatting isolation and keeping both body and mind motivated.”
Indeed, The Villages Group – Rainbow in France offers a range of amenities and services suitable for those in their active ‘third age’. Here a community of friends can mingle, embark on fun and engaging on-site entertainment choices for an active life as well as numerous options for physical fitness and well-being including tennis courts, indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, saunas and quality entertainment programmes.
These properties are proving to be a great success with already over 20% sold in just a couple of months, offering a fresh alternative and unique lifestyle choice for the active over 50´s LGBT community seeking the perfect life abroad from just €236,000.