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There’s no doubt that retirement is an exciting chapter – you might have worked or volunteered for decades, raised a family, and feel ready to embrace this next stage of life. But what’s the best place to live where you can feel supported, access care as needed, and be part of a friendly, inclusive community?
First things first. Researching retirement living options can be a bewildering process, with countless new words and acronyms to wrap your head around. While this blog will focus on retirement village serviced apartments, let’s start by breaking down some key definitions.
A retirement village is a lively residential community designed for older Australians. Retirement villages can be incredibly diverse and are as unique as the people who call them home. You can choose from leafy, spacious communities featuring single-level homes, as well as apartments in mid-rise vertical villages designed for over-70s. No matter what type of home, location and lifestyle you choose, they’re ideal if you want to enjoy the freedom and independence of life on your terms, with the safety net of a like-minded community and care and support you can count on.
Each RetireAustralia village offers independent living units (ILUs) and selected villages also offer serviced apartments – sometimes known as care apartments – for those who’d like a little extra support to make life easier. In a serviced apartment, our trusted team takes care of housekeeping, maintenance and cooking, and we can offer tailored care services as required.
On the flipside, nursing homes or aged care facilities (sometimes known as a RAC or residential aged care) are for those who can no longer live independently and require full-time care. Many aged care facilities cater to both low care and high care residents, while other facilities specialise in just one level of care. Residents requiring low care receive help with personal care such as showering, dressing, eating, taking medication and some nursing care. High care residents are generally frail with high or complex care needs, and require continuous nursing care.
Before you make a move, it’s vital to choose a home that suits your values, needs and lifestyle long term. If you’d like to know more about retirement living options, it’s best to check out our Retire Ready guide. If you’d prefer to read a comprehensive explanation of the differences between retirement villages and nursing homes, we’ve written a blog on just that topic.
Retirement village serviced apartments are perfect if your care needs are increasing, and you want to keep doing what you love. With no maintenance, housekeeping or cooking to worry about, you’ll have the freedom to maintain your independence and spend time on what matters most to you.
While each of our villages is different, with individual layouts and design, there are a few things that come standard with a retirement village serviced apartment.
To put it simply, life in a retirement village serviced apartment looks however you want it to look. Our serviced apartments are purpose-built to give you support you can count on, and the freedom to focus on what’s important to you.
We take care of the little things – like meals, linen laundry and apartment cleaning – so you can continue living an independent lifestyle alongside your friends and family. We can also arrange additional support tailored to your individual needs and delivered in your apartment.
As a valued member of the community, you’ll have full access to the village’s amenities and social activities calendar. This varies by village, but could include regular happy hours, movie nights, dinner events, mahjong, bingo and card games.
We’ve welcomed hundreds of residents into serviced apartments over the years, and consistently hear similar feedback. Namely, residents report they have more energy and vitality once they no longer need to worry about cooking or cleaning. And more energy means more time to connect with people you love, take part in village activities, and enjoy life in a warm and welcoming community.
The best part? You can live in a serviced apartment with your partner, even if just one of you has care needs or requires extra support.
A great way to learn about life in a serviced apartment is to hear from residents themselves. Here’s what some RetireAustralia residents had to say:
If you’re interested in seeing if a serviced apartment is right for you, it’s best to organise a tour of your nearest retirement village. This allows you to get a feel for the community, meet the Village Manager, chat to residents, and view the village facilities and available properties.
