One of the most important decisions you will make in retirement is deciding where to live. This has an impact on your lifestyle, friends, location, and sense of wellbeing.
Maybe you’ve decided to stay in the family home but find it hard to keep up with maintenance, or have moved into an apartment but are missing a sense of community.
If you’re retired, planning your retirement, or just weighing up your options, it’s worth considering whether a retirement village is right for you. In this post, we’ve outlined five advantages of living in a retirement village.
Retirement villages
First, it’s important to understand what a retirement village is – and what it’s not.
Retirement villages are vibrant residential communities designed for older Australians. They’re perfect if you’d like the safety and security of village life, the convenience of maintenance being taken care of, and peace of mind knowing you can access care and support should you ever need it.
Conversely, an aged care facility is for those who need full-time care and are unable to live independently. The move into aged care often follows a significant health event or decline in mobility.
A land lease or lifestyle community is targeted at younger retirees and is often located on the site of a former caravan park. Land lease communities are legislated under the same laws as manufactured home parks and caravan parks, which means your right to remain in your home isn’t protected if the land lease operator ceases to exist. What’s more, land lease communities generally don’t offer care options so may not be suitable if your health or mobility changes.
Remember that circumstances change, and the decision you made five years ago may no longer feel right. And that’s ok! We’ve welcomed residents to our villages who found it too time-consuming to maintain the family home, and others who had already downsized into an apartment but found the experience isolating.
If you’d like to know more about retirement living options, check out our Retire Ready guide.
Remember that circumstances change, and the decision you made five years ago may no longer feel right.
Safety and security
Enhanced safety and security are one of the most important benefits of living in a retirement village. You can rest easy knowing you’re in a community of like-minded neighbours where everyone looks out for each other.
You can enjoy the space and privacy of your own home, while knowing the friendly on-site team are there if you ever need it. All villages have a dedicated Village Manager, and larger villages and those with care or serviced apartments also have administration and support staff, maintenance, gardeners, carers and chefs.
Many residents also love the option to “lock up and leave”. They can travel to visit family, knowing that someone will collect their mail and look after the gardens. This offers invaluable peace of mind, knowing your home and belongings will be in top condition when you return.
And we can’t talk about safety and security without mentioning the low-maintenance lifestyle – with no gardens to mow or house maintenance to take care of, you can focus on the activities and people you love the most. This means you’ll never find yourself up a ladder again, or hurting your back from arduous maintenance tasks.
Sense of community
Another important feature is the sense of community and belonging that’s inherent to village life. Not only will you be with like-minded neighbours at the same stage of life, but you’ll have ample opportunities for social connection.
Research has shown that community bonds can boost physical health and mental and emotional wellbeing. Social stimulation can even help stave off dementia and feelings of isolation.
While social activities vary by village, they can include regular happy hours, movie nights, morning teas, card games, lawn bowls, and day trips. You can participate as much or little as you like, and the social options are flexible, changing with resident interests.
The amenities in each village also add to a sense of community. Some are lively hubs of social activity, while others are peaceful places for a spot of quiet reflection.
Independence
One of the best parts about retirement village living is that you can maintain your independence and choose your own schedule, while benefitting from a community of support around you. Retirement villages have a range of living and care options suited to different stages of life.
Independent living villas re perfect if you want to enjoy life on your terms with the safety net of a like-minded community. With the time saved on gardening and maintenance, you can spend your days with friends and family, doing the things you love.
If you need a little extra daily support, you might be better suited to a care or serviced apartment. Here, you can take part in village activities while someone else looks after housekeeping, laundry, maintenance and cooking. You can also access personal care services if you need them.
And if you just need a little extra support from time to time, you can access flexible home care services from your own home.
All of these options differ markedly from aged care, in that retirement village residents can access extra support on their own terms when they need it. In contrast, those in aged care often require 24/7 assistance with nursing support and personal care.
Maintain your independence and choose your own schedule – all with a supportive community at hand.
Infection control and cleanliness
Infection control and cleanliness have never been more important. But you can rest assured that our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our residents and team members.
Since the advent of COVID-19, we have reviewed and enhanced our Infection Control policies and procedures, and trained all team members on their individual responsibilities.
At a village level, we’ve increased hand washing stations in communal areas, we offer free flu vaccinations for all employees, provide PPE, and have adopted additional cleaning protocols and stringent cleanliness measures.
We’ve taken a village-specific response to community activities and facilities, considering different state restrictions, the unique built environment, and proximity to COVID-19 cases. Our response has been dynamic and flexible, so we can adapt to the ever-changing situation and maintain our villages as safe havens. This means residents can get on with their lives – in the safest way possible.
Keeping active
Living in a retirement village encourages you to stay active, which in turn fosters your health and wellbeing. Recent research suggests that regular physical activity is even linked with better cognition.
Our villages offer ample opportunities to keep your mind and body active – through both the amenities on-site and the social activities on offer. While each village is unique, these can include dancing, yoga, pilates, and exercise classes.
Amenities can include a swimming pool, gym, tennis court, and lawn bowls, to name a few. Some residents opt to get their daily exercise by taking a stroll through the leafy grounds. And, with many villages welcoming pets, you can include your furry friend and get fresh air at the same time!
Want to see for yourself?
If you’re thinking about moving to a retirement village, it’s a great idea to talk to the residents themselves. Why not book a tour at your local village, so you can get a feel for the community?
Visit your nearest community and see the advantages for yourself
