Many of you will remember listening to ‘With a little help from my friends’ by the Beatles.  The song asks the question, “How do you feel at the end of the day, are you sad because you’re on your own?  The answer, of course, is “No, I get by with a little help from my friends”.  Written by Paul McCartney (with a little help from John Lennon), the message of the song is true today.

In the quest for better health, many people turn to doctors, self-help books or herbal supplements.  But they overlook a powerful weapon that could help them fight illness and depression, speed recovery, slow ageing and prolong life:  their friends! Studies show that socially-connected people live an average of 3.7 years longer than those who aren’t.  In fact, people who are more reclusive with no social support, have a higher mortality rate than those affected by obesity or physical disability.  Researchers are paying increasing attention to the importance of friendship and social interaction in overall health and optimism.

“People with stronger friendship networks feel like there is someone they can turn to,” says Karen Roberto, Director of the Centre for Gerontology at Virginia Tech. “Friendship is an undervalued resource.  The consistent message of these studies is that friends make your life better.”  Her observations have been echoed by studies around the world.

At Evergreen Lifestyle, we’re well aware of the impact that friendship and human interaction have on our residents, which is why we invest so much time and effort building happy communities and facilitating social connectedness at our retirement villages across the country.

Evergreen’s built environments provide a fitting backdrop against which the vibrant life of the village plays out.  State-of-the-art lifestyle centres offer luxuriously furnished reading rooms and TV lounges, well stocked libraries, hair and beauty salons, and bistros serving up delicious wholesome fare prepared by hotel-trained chefs.  Several villages also offer fully equipped care centres and resort style health and fitness facilities that include an indoor heated pool and fully equipped gym where water aerobics, Thai Chi, yoga, and Pilates classes take place, and where residents can pump iron, blow off steam on the exercise bike, or enjoy a friendly game of table tennis.

It is within these communal facilities that upwards on 25 clubs and special interest groups take place, and where lasting friendships form naturally and easily.  Prior to the onset of Covid19, residents would come together regularly to play bridge, canasta, bingo, chess, join an art class or walking group, worship or attend a bible study, play pool or boules, attend movies nights, wine tastings, line dancing, murder mystery evenings, watch televised sports events, or join one of the many special interest societies – like the photographic, music appreciation, poetry, hiking, environmental societies – that meet regularly.

As the name suggests, Evergreen lifestyle offers a perennially fresh, relaxing, social and communal retirement lifestyle second to none. To find our more, click here.