How the pandemic has impacted retirees
Two years of lockdowns, mask-wearing and rapidly expanding our medical knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world in a variety of ways - and retirees are no exception.
New research has found that Australia’s over 50s have shifted their priorities since the pandemic, with 44 percent of seniors wanting to live closer to their families and nearly 70 percent feeling their appreciation of the little things in life has changed.
According to the Australian Seniors Quality of Life Report, which surveyed over 5,000 Australians over 50, one in three Aussies have changed their priorities in retirement because of Covid, and approximately half find that good physical and mental health is their highest priority during retirement.
Though Covid has had the biggest impact on retirees' travel plans - according to 55 percent of respondents - spending time with family (42 percent), and socialising and being in the community (36 percent) have been listed as a close second and third.
Seniors’ expectations for their quality of life during retirement have also changed following the pandemic.
A majority (62 percent) expect they might not be able to travel in the ways they want to, while just over 50 percent expect they may have to deal with greater health risks - with people over 60 more at risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid, it’s unsurprising that this is a big issue for retirees.
Even with all of the changes the pandemic has brought to our lives, nearly all seniors agree that living independently is the most important part of retirement and it ranks in the top five of key goals Aussies have.
It comes as the preference for living at home and receiving residential care outstrips aged care, with the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services finding that the number of home-care packages reached 236,554 in the last financial year, while the number of aged care packages stayed stable.
“If you asked 100 people where you would rather be, 100 percent say ‘I want to stay home’,” Darren Nelson, an adjustable bed expert at Solace Sleep, told OverSixty.
“We are seeing a huge increase in people reaching out, desperate to avoid having to go into an aged care facility.”
As a result of this spike in demand, Solace Sleep – a company providing in-home care supplies – has seen the sale of mechanical beds go from less than 10 beds a year to over 300.
Not only that, but living at home means that it’s easier to stay connected to friends and family - another key retirement goal.
All in all, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen many of us question our priorities in life, and shift our focus to spending time with the people that matter most - and it might be that it’s an antidote to the isolation we’ve faced over the past few years and the key ingredient for a fulfilling life.
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