So many of us, when researching retirement options, do so with trepidation, fearing that we are not quite ready for a retirement village yet, not old enough or not ready to give up our current lifestyle.

So the question is “When is the right time and how does it impact on our physical and mental wellbeing?” Let’s look at some of the myths out there which contribute to this way of thinking, as there are many misconceptions about retirement villages.

Moving to a retirement village, particularly to The Somerset, is no different from moving to any gated residential estate. At The Somerset, along with high security, you also benefit from a range of facilities and services that you may require as you continue your journey through life. There are excellent dining and leisure facilities, hobbies and events to enhance your everyday living. The choice is entirely up to you as to whether or not to make use of these facilities or join in the events.

You are as independent as ever, in fact probably more so as a lot of the mundane responsibilities of home ownership are taken care of by the estate. Even the residents in the Health Care Centre are encouraged to remain as independent as possible.

At The Somerset we have some residents still working, others who spend time at their holiday homes or travelling and we have a number of “Swallows”, our overseas residents who occupy their homes only during the summer months.

The community in the village often refer to the residents as one big family, but like all families, each person is an individual with activities and friends outside the family circle. In order to keep levies reasonable, The Somerset has chosen not to incorporate some of the very expensive facilities to maintain, such as golf, tennis and others. Residents are encouraged to make use of the extensive and numerous facilities and clubs in the surrounding areas.

It is simply not true that after a certain age, adults cannot learn new skills, try new activities, or make fresh lifestyle changes. Taking into account that the entry age to The Somerset is only 50, a move to the estate opens up plenty of wonderful opportunities to make new friends and engage in new activities.

Once again, the choice is yours – the human brain never stops accepting new challenges, so as an older adult, you’re just as capable of keeping mind and body in good condition through active engagement. Living in isolation has far more negative impact on one’s physical and mental capabilities than the age of the company you keep.