How to talk to your parents about moving into a retirement village

Tips to help you, when you know it’s time

If you're worried about how your mum or dad are coping with living in the family home, it can be difficult to know how to talk to them about the situation.

Of course, starting the conversation with, “I’m worried about you Mum & Dad...” is an approach that’s guaranteed to fail! That’s because the older generation hear your concerns differently.

Even though you have the best of intentions, they hear, “We want to take away your independence because you are no longer capable!” That’s sure to get anyone’s back up.

So, how do you talk to your parents in a way that will:

a) Let them know that you’re truly looking out for their best interests, and

b) Give you the best chance of actually getting them to take action?

We understand if you feel it’s an awkward subject to bring up. Yet, if you can see problems starting to appear for your parents, it’s important to open the conversation sooner rather than later.

In this news post, we’ll take a look at a few of the ways you can make the conversation not only more palatable, but more valuable all round. 

Accentuate the positive – forget the negative!

Instead of focusing on the problems, why not take a positive approach instead? That means talking about all the many benefits your parents will enjoy when they move to a modern retirement village.

Rather than focusing on your worries about their current living arrangements, share with your parents your excitement about the lifestyle they could experience.

Downsizing from the family home isn’t about giving up their independence. It’s about choosing a richer lifestyle that’s safer, packed full of activities, and part of a vibrant, like-minded community.

Retirement villages can help you live longer

If mum and dad protest that they’re not ready to give up on life just yet – why, you can reassure them that a retirement estate is the ideal place to experience a high quality lifestyle.

Research shows that regular socialising with like-minded people can help keep your mind active and sharp. That’s a major factor in ensuring that your parents can live a healthy and rewarding life for many years to come.

Of course, your parents will have greater opportunity for socialising when they choose to move into an independent retirement living community. 

Say goodbye to never-ending home maintenance

This is a point that we think is sure to get a sympathetic hearing. At Renaissance Retirement Living, your parents’ home maintenance will be carried out by our dedicated, friendly team of tradespeople.

The tradies we engage have a long-standing relationship with us. We receive many comments on how they’re helpful, polite, and always deliver good work. With more than 300 homes worth of potential business for them at Renaissance, it’s in their best interests to deliver great service – and they do!

Our community love having a team of people they know and trust to come into their homes and take care of all the little home maintenance jobs that they really don’t have time for – not when they could be at our Leisure Centre enjoying indoor heated pool, residents’ workshop, bowling green, croquet court and so much more!

Bring your parents for a tour of Renaissance Victoria Point

One phrase the Renaissance team are very used to hearing is, “If only we’d moved in here sooner!”

So to make sure your parents don’t waste any more time before realising they’d rather live at Renaissance, we invite you to bring them along for a guided tour of our retirement estate. 

You and your parents can walk through our display villas and get a feel for the spacious open plan living they offer. Mum and dad can also get to know our retirement village community by talking to residents about what they think of life at Renaissance.

Who knows, you may find your parents moving out of the family home sooner than you imagined!

Call Renaissance today on (07) 3820 7700 to book a time to visit our outstanding independent living estate.