Shane Cresser

Seachange Village Takes Home Master Builders Award

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Multi-award winning Gold Coast lifestyle resort, Seachange Village Arundel has secured its place amongst Queensland’s most successful active over 50s communities after winning the 2015 Master Builders Award.

The Pradella Property Ventures’ community was voted the best Lifestyle Accommodation for Seniors by an independent committee, which recognises excellence in the Queensland building and construction industry.

Seachange has now achieved awards in the seniors community category from each of the major Queensland building organisations.

Designed with the philosophy to nourish the mind, body and soul, Seachange offers residents a variety of architecturally designed homes with unrivalled amenities through the community’s 5-star country club, and direct access to the neighbouring Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area.

Seachange Project Director Phil Goodman said the community showcased the developer’s commitment to create a benchmark over 50s lifestyle resort that allows its residents to enjoy a vibrant, active lifestyle –in essence to “love the way they live”.

“We are extremely proud of what we have delivered at Seachange. We have successfully developed a quality product offering for the growing baby boomers demographic.”

Mr Goodman said the award is a great achievement for the community, which continues to grow, with the final stages now selling.

“We are catering to an increasing segment of Australia’s population who demand very specific housing, so recognition from Master Builders has provided a strong endorsement of the vision we set out to achieve,” he stated.

For a guided tour of the country club or to register for a FREE morning tea with Seachange residents, visit the Welcome Centre at 299 Napper Road Arundel.

Call 1800 652 797 or visit www.seachangegoldcoast.com.au for more information.

Statistics Prove: People in active over 50s communities are healthier and happier

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Our active lifestyle resort at Emerald Lakes is founded on the principles of friendship, fun and fitness. We developed this model through research and common sense. We researched numerous senior communities around Florida, USA and noticed that too many people felt they were moving into retirement communities or facilities because they had to: not because they wanted to.

We decided to change that by offering a resort that over 50’s would move into by choice. We have done this by providing a lifestyle that is more an over 50’s resort than a typical retirement village. At Seachange Emerald Lakes, we go out of our way to provide facilities to promote activities and a great social life.

We believe in our core principles and two studies which indicate that people in communities like ours are statistically healthier and happier.

The Harvard School of Public Health Study

Led by researcher Lisa Berkman, who was the chair of Harvard’s Department of Society, Human Development and Health at the time of the study, said people with “strong social networks” have lower mortality rates and can delay the onset and severity of memory decline. Her research showed that those who had the least social integration lost memory function at a rate double of those who had strong social networks over a period of six years.

Keeping your brain healthy is one of the most important factors of living a full, happy life as a senior. Making strong social connections with like-minded people is an effective way to do just that.

Hebrew University Medical Center Study

This study proved that seniors who engage in any exercise, even “lower” levels, live longer than those who don’t exercise. They also show less statistical risk of disability. The most amazing finding: even those who don’t start exercising until they are between 70 and 85 derive benefits from an active lifestyle.

Are You Ready for a Seachange?

To learn more and to live the life you have always deserved, call Seachange Emerald Lakes today: 1800 559 669.

Can Exercise Help Prevent Dementia?

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Our active adult lifestyle resort at Emerald Lakes is built on the principles of friendship, fun and fitness. We wanted to provide an over 50’s lifestyle resort that would help residents get the most out of life. The principles of friendship, fun and fitness combine synergistically to provide a community of active, happy over 50’s who wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else.

What Studies Say

We have a firm belief that friendship, fun and fitness are their own rewards, but research is proving that an active lifestyle can help delay or even prevent the onset of dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease International’s newest document called “World Alzheimer Report 2014: Dementia and Risk Reduction.”

The report combines different sources of contemporary research indicating that exercise can help prevent dementia. Exercise is one of many factors that can prevent dementia. We see the research as an indication that a lifestyle of friendship, fun and fitness can help keep seniors healthy.

There are studies showing that exercise can directly affect brain health, but there is also research indicating that exercise can also affect brain health indirectly by helping prevent other diseases and conditions that can increase the risk of dementia. These include diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Lab studies performed on animals indicate that exercise can help consolidate and improve neuron structure, enhance neurotransmitter synthesis and reduce amyloid burden. Many observational studies have demonstrated a link between dementia and lack of exercise. These studies suggest that exercise can reduce the risk of dementia as much as 40%.

Putting it All Together

While most researchers stop short of saying that exercise on its own can prevent dementia, we see exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle that is statistically proven to lower the risk. It all goes back to our core principles of friendship, fun and fitness.

At Seachange Emerald Lakes, you have the opportunity to live in an over 50’s lifestyle resort where you spend every day being active and happy. Call 1800 559 669 to learn more.

Want to Live Longer? Have a Sense of Purpose

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At Seachange Village Arundel, we consider ourselves to be on the forefront of active adult retirement communities. We know that today’s retiree is healthier and prefers a more active lifestyle than those in previous generations may have. Advances in the science of health have enabled people to stay young for longer, inspiring sayings such as “60 is the new 40.”

We created Seachange Village Arundel on three principles: fun, fitness and friendship. If all of those are present, it’s easy to be happy. The further along we go in our “process” of providing “seachange” to active over 50’s, the more we realise that our approach is scientifically valid. Recently, a study from Canada and the US gave us even more proof that the Seachange way is the right way.

A Purpose-Driven Life

The principles of fun, fitness and friendship not only keep us happy but also provide a sense of purpose. When you are active and have a great social life, it provides a sense of purpose that makes you wake up in the morning feeling great. As far as we’re concerned, feeling great each day is its own reward, but a recent study is telling us that there is an even bigger reward: longer life.

Carleton University in Canada recently performed a study in cooperation with the Rochester Medical Center in the US. The authors of the study, Patrick Hill and Nicholas Turiano, concluded that having direction and goals can help a person live longer, whether or not they actually achieve those goals.

The authors concluded that those who reconnect with passions they couldn’t pursue when they were working, such as painting, music, writing and gardening, can add years to one’s life.

At Seachange Village Arundel, you can wake up every day with a sense of purpose. You can enjoy the 5-Star Country Club, which includes an arts and crafts room and a workshop in addition to teppanyaki barbecue and even a dance floor. There are sporting facilities such as a floodlit tennis court onsite and some of the best recreation the Gold Coast has to offer is within a 20 minute drive.

To learn more, call us today: 1800 652 797.

Can Having a Great Group of Friends Help Prevent Dementia?

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When we decided to develop our active adult living community in Arundel, we decided to build them on the principles of friendship, fun and fitness. We know that today’s senior citizen is a lot more active than those of previous generations. We checked out a lot of communities before creating our active adult living model.

In our active adult living community, friendship is at the forefront. Not only are you encouraged to bring your old friends, you will make plenty of new friends at Seachange Arundel. There are plenty of social opportunities as you live an active lifestyle among kindred spirits.

We feel that fun, friendship and fitness are their own rewards, but a recent report from Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) indicates that friendship may have more benefits than we knew. The report is called “World Alzheimer Report 2014: Dementia and Risk Reduction” and covers many factors in the causes of dementia and the prevention of dementia by removing the causes.

According to the ADI report, cognitive stimulation is showing signs of being helpful for preventing dementia. In addition, depression is seen as a factor that increases the risk of dementia. At Seachange Village Arundel, we think the lifestyle, especially the social factor, provides cognitive stimulation and helps seniors fight the onset of depression because the risk factor of isolation is removed from the equation.

Revisiting a California Study from 2008

In 2008, a study was performed in California on 2,249 women. Its purpose was to determine if having a large social network would provide any protection from dementia. The study found that the women who had large social networks were 26% less likely to develop dementia. If they had contact with friends and/or family on a daily basis, they became close to 50% less likely to develop dementia.

Are You Ready for a Seachange?

To learn more about how you can live in an active adult community where your friends will be right next door, call us today:1800 652 797.

9 Benefits of an Active Lifestyle

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At Seachange Emerald Lakes, we feel that we are providing one of the best active adult retirement resorts in the world. We have a world class, 5-Star country club and facilities that promote an active, social lifestyle. In addition, we are less than twenty minutes away from every imaginable activity, from golf to the beaches.

Our core principles are friendship, fun and fitness. Not only is Seachange Emerald Lakes a great place to live, the lifestyle we enable for our residents carries a host of health benefits. Even those who just choose to walk the surrounding 13km of walking paths are going to be healthier and happier.

Here are nine benefits of having an active lifestyle. While we offer numerous opportunities for more strenuous exercise, all of these benefits can be gained by simply walking for thirty minutes a day.

Stronger Heart

Exercise lowers your risk of stroke and heart disease. It makes your “bad cholesterol” or LDL levels lower while raising your “good cholesterol” or HDL. It also lowers your blood pressure. Walking for 30 minutes a day can lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of strokes by as much as 27%.

Lower Risk of Disease

Those who exercise are statistically less likely to sustain asthma, diabetes and many forms of cancer. According to the British Medical Journal and the charity “Walking for Health,” walking can lower the risk of diabetes by as much as 60%.

Less Weight Gain

Exercise burns calories, increases metabolism and improves muscle tone. To have stable body weight, it is important to burn at least as many calories as you eat each day. Burning 600 more calories than you eat each day will result in noticeable weight loss.

Helps Prevent Dementia

Anecdotal and observational studies indicate that those who exercise can be up to 40% less likely to have dementia. Those who are active usually score better on brain function tests. According to Age UK, exercise may prevent brain shrinkage, which may be a very important factor in keeping one’s memories intact.

Helps Prevent Osteoporosis

Weight bearing exercise helps prevent osteoporosis by helping the bones retain minerals such as calcium. This is an application of “Wolff’s Law,” which states that bone adapts to the loads placed on it. More exercise produces stronger bones.

Body Toning

Exercise tones your body. This not only feels healthy but looks much better, too. A toned body is also at less risk of injury from falls or accidents.

Boosts Vitamin D Levels

Appropriate Vitamin D levels are crucial for health. Any outdoor exercise boosts your Vitamin D levels because you are in the sun. While we recommend sunblock, we also recommend getting outdoors for at least a half hour a day.

More Energy

Sayings such as “use it or lose it” or “you get what you give” have been proven to apply to your energy level. The more you exercise, the more energy you have. Having more energy makes you feel more alive from the minute you awake in the morning until you go to bed at night.

Mood Elevator

Exercise makes us happier. Exercise can increase levels of endorphins and serotonin. Many psychologists and doctors believe that exercise is one of nature’s best antidepressants. We concur. A charity called “Mind” did a survey in which 83% of the respondents said they use exercise to help elevate their mood.

The Seachange Emerald Lakes Lifestyle

At Seachange Emerald Lakes, you will be surrounded by great facilities and kindred spirits. Whether you like to walk, play tennis, work out, play golf or go to the beach, you can find what you need to be active into your later years on your own terms.

Active over 50’s are happier and healthier than those with sedentary lifestyles. When you are in a community where it is so easy to make friends, it is a lot easier to stay active. You will have so much fun at Seachange Emerald Lakes that fitness can seemingly happen on “autopilot.”

To learn more, call 1800 559 669 today.