The secret to living longer
06 Aug 2016
According to a new study from the University of Queensland, Probians are on the right track. The research shows that retirees who retained membership in a social club had reduced mortality rates and an improved quality of life.
The study found that if contact is maintained with just one club during retirement, the risk of premature death sits at five per cent. If contact is ceased, that risk rises to 12 per cent. Further, in the year following retirement, for every group membership participants lost, their quality of life six years later was 10 per cent lower.
Queensland psychologist Niklas Steffens said the results mean Australia needs to place a greater emphasis on community and social clubs, especially for retirees.
“Groups provide people with a sense of agency, purpose, meaning and social support,” Dr Steffens explained.
The study followed 424 people in England, over the age of 50, just before their retirement and for six years following. These results were compared to people still in the workforce, matched for age, sex and health status.
Dr Steffens emphasised the need to plan for your social life in retirement. “The common messages we are exposed to as retirement looms are about how to manage your finances, medical care or physical exercise, but we don’t really talk about social planning.”
App launched to help dementia sufferers
Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria has recently launched the Dementia-Friendly Home App, developed by Deakin University. It aims to help families and carers by creating a home suitable for loved ones with dementia.
According to Maree McCabe, CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria, many people don’t really understand the spatial and visual challenges that those with dementia face. The changes in their brain often mean that conducting simple day-to-day functions in their own home becomes confusing.
App users explore a virtual reality home so they can learn how to make their own more accessible.
For example, the app gives advice on furniture, lighting and colours.
It also suggests small changes that can be made to help someone with dementia, such as using visual labels rather than written ones, and installing motion detectors that turn lights on and off as someone walks through the house.
With these simple changes, people with dementia may be able to live more comfortably for longer in their own homes.
The app is now available for iPad from the App Store and Android tablets from the Google Play Store for $2.99.
Benefits of an active lifestyle
A landmark study from Sydney University has found that retirees benefit from the ability to live a more active lifestyle.
Not only do people become more active in their retirement, they also sleep better and reduce their idle sitting time.
The study, which followed the lifestyle behaviours of 25,000 older Australians, looked at physical activity, diet, sedentary behaviour, alcohol use and sleep patterns.
Retirement is usually a major life change. But it also creates a window of opportunity to do everything you dreamed of doing when you were younger. It’s a chance to change your bad routines for new, healthier ones. And the impact on a retiree’s life is astounding.
The report revealed that retirees increased their physical activity by 93 minutes a week, increased sleep by 11 minutes a day and that 50 per cent of female smokers stopped the habit. Meanwhile, retirees decreased their sedentary time by 67 minutes a day. Many retirees said they are enjoying their retirement so much, they wonder how they even had time to work.
Australia ranked in top 10 happiest countries
The 2016 World Happiness Report has been released, and according to the study, Australia is the ninth happiest country in the world. Denmark claimed the title of the happiest country on earth. The report compared data from 2005 to 2015 and looked at elements such as the impact of the global recession, wellbeing among countries and regions, health, policy and psychology among others. According to the overview of the report, there is a worldwide demand for placing more attention to happiness as a criteria for government policy.
The top 10 happiest countries
- Denmark
- Switzerland
- Iceland
- Norway
- Finland
- Canada
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Sweden
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