Feeling lonely IN YOUR CASTLE?
OUR HOMES HAVE TRULY BECOME OUR CASTLES, BUT LONELINESS CAN EASILY SET IN
Human beings are social creatures, but that fact sometimes gets lost in the way we build our modern lives. We’ve turned our homes into our castles, but discovered that pulling up the drawbridge has a big drawback – loneliness. Many people go from living a busy life with work, friends and raising a family, to finding retirement a lonely time – with serious negative impacts on health, wellbeing and longevity. In the UK, chronic loneliness has become such a recognised problem that the government has appointed a Minister for Loneliness to address the issue. In New Zealand, a world-first University of Otago study of 72,000 older New Zealanders recently revealed that one in five older Kiwis is lonely. That resonates for Barbara Reynen-Rose with the residents she meets in her role as chief operations ocer for retirement village operator Ryman Healthcare. “As you get older, you often begin to lose your social network. Your mobility decreases, making you less confident to go out, the motivation and the interest in socialising often decreases too because it all gets rather hard.” In addition, families are much more spread out and many older people don’t want to be a worry to their children, so the problem can snowball, she says. “It all compounds to feeling lonely and you experience everything more acutely because there’s noone to talk it through with.” However, research shows that if you keep active, socialise, eat well, keep taking any relevant medication and stay interested in life, that equals longevity. “Having something to look forward to and participating in things you enjoy, that’s what life’s about. It’s those moments of shared joy and laughter.” Seeing that take eect when people move into a Ryman village is the most rewarding part of her work, says Barbara. “It can take time to settle in, even up to three months as people gradually begin to understand how everything works. They try the dierent activities to see if they like them or not,” she says.
‘Having something to look forward to ... it’s the moments of shared joy’
“They meet a few people and a bit of laughter comes back into their life.” The beauty of the villages is that nothing is mandatory and people can participate as much or as little as they wish, says Barbara. “But the opportunity is there and you’re with people who all have a positive buy-in to being in a retirement village. So there’s a natural camaraderie.” Mealtimes can be the perfect opportunity for such moments, with serviced apartment residents gathering for lunch each day, and regular fine-dining events. A menu overhaul dubbed Ryman Delicious was introduced in 2017 to give residents more variety and choice. Ryman’s chefs prepare nutritious meals fresh on-site and sta work hard to ensure meals are sociable events. “I love it when people say to me, ‘I wish I’d done this sooner,’” says Barbara. “What that means is it’s opened up a new world for them. They’ve been isolated and lonely, often for an extended period of time, and so they can embrace living in a retirement village with great enthusiasm.”