Advisors Can Help Their Clients’ Wellbeing through Keeping Their Identity in Retirement

While retirement may seem easy, many people find it hard to transition into, mainly because they can lose their sense of purpose and identity along the way.

And one of the most-overlooked things that retirement living can do is help retirees keep or rediscover their sense of self.

By the time we’ve finished education and joined the workforce, we can spend around 50 years at work, with our identity being linked to our work. A big topic of conversation with new people is often what line of work we’re in. And our friends may come from a similar background or work in similar roles.

But that identity can be stripped away at retirement, and it can be hard to smoothly move into the next phase of life.

Happy lives come from good relationships and strong social connections

Relationships are the most valuable thing in life, according to the Harvard Study of Adult Development. That’s an 80-year study that began in 1938, studying 68 students, then expanding in the 70s with a further 456 city residents and eventually encompassing the participants’ offspring, who now number 1,300.

The study found that the number one thing which made people happy was the quality of their relationships, and the biggest challenge in retirement was replacing lost social connections. The happiest retirees are those with a wide network of friends, and a community around them.

Looking at socialising opportunities in retirement living can help to restore a sense of purpose and identity

Having a wide network of friends helps to provide the identity through which we interact with our community. So, spending time understanding the available living options in retirement will help to support your clients’ happiness in retirement.

Many believe, incorrectly, that remaining in their family home will give them greater independence and happiness. Unfortunately, in many cases, the opposite is true, and this can lead to loneliness and isolation.

And without proper planning and consideration, people can end up moving into sheltered housing (or warden-assisted living), which can equally lead to the same result.

Retirement villages move beyond that, providing a great community space. Some Independent Retirement Communities (IRCs) go even further by creating “super communities” supported by a wraparound wellbeing offering.

Advisors can play a key part in their clients’ retirement journey, with just a little knowledge making a huge difference to their wellbeing.

And this knowledge is key. Many people can be under the illusion that IRCs are just “old people’s” homes. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

After taking a tour of our residences, one advisor recently told us: “I went home and told my wife that Riverstone was like the best hotel we have stayed in (the Savoy Palace in Funchal)”.

In fact, many comment they’d like to live here when they’re older.

It’s not just the amazing facilities and staff, but the residents, too, which create this feel-good atmosphere. Moving somewhere with like-minded people helps to restore and reinvigorate a sense of identity and purpose.

Help your clients discover more about finding their happy place for retirement living.

To find out more see: https://www.riverstoneliving.com/advisors