At RetireAustralia, we believe that life in a retirement village offers everything you could ever want, but don’t take our word for it. We’ve asked residents from across our villages why they love living in a retirement village.
1 Low-maintenance lifestyle
“I like the fact that you don’t have to do the lawn mowing. We had a big garden, but here the two gardeners who do our place are absolutely wonderful. They’ve been extremely helpful! They often go out of their way and get it done!” says Norm Whyburn at Tarragal Glen Retirement Village. “The odd times we’ve needed maintenance, the team has been up here quickly. If they couldn’t sort it out, they had the contractors here.”
Life in a retirement village can offer peace of mind when it comes to garden and home maintenance. Offering a low-maintenance lifestyle, you can leave the lawn mower and stress about home repairs behind and spend more of your time doing the things you love. *
“I found that I didn’t miss cleaning the pool. I didn’t miss doing the garden or doing the repair chores,” says Chris at The Verge at Burleigh G.C.
2 Having a full and active life
One of the things residents are surprised about when the move into a village is how rich and active their lives can become. There is so much on offer in a retirement village, and you can do as much or as little as you like. Retirement living certainly doesn’t mean that life has to slow down.
That’s true for Tarragal Glen resident Gordon Crawford, who says: “Some people look at retirement village living and downsizing as though you’re giving up something, but for us we really feel like it’s given us a better life than we had before. After two years in the village we have a new circle of friends and a very full life both inside and outside of the village.”
The same is true for Lorraine Hogam from The Verge. “I wanted to live somewhere where we had a community around us and plenty of options for things to do. And since we’ve come here, we’ve been so busy – like this morning we went to the gym and then line dancing. We also love table tennis and now play a few times a week, and I like to go swimming too. We have a much busier life than before,” says Lorraine.
3 A sense of community
We don’t call it a ‘village’ for nothing. Being part of a community is central to village life. Residents often tell us that having neighbours who are also friends makes for a wonderful existence, but they still maintain and respect each other’s privacy
‘Our village is a real community supported by our Village Manager and her staff,” says Gordon from Tarragal Glen. “We discovered a sense of community we had not expected. Villagers talk to each other, not only in regular activities but when they meet in the street or walking, very often with dogs, in the park. I now consider many of the residents’ friends. Friends who care about each other and keep an eye out for anyone having difficulties.”
Carlyle Gardens Retirement Village resident Noel Bowman agrees. When asked about his favourite memory from living in the village, Noel doesn’t hesitate. “Friendships,” he says. “This is one of the best moves we’ve ever made.” His wife Judy says: “I like the village feeling and the community aspect to Carlyle.”
Having a community around you is wonderful in good times, but becomes essential when things are tough as Lorraine from The Verge discovered.
“(My husband) Reg has had a few health issues recently, and the support and concern shown by the village team and residents has absolutely confirmed that we made the right decision by moving here,” says Lorraine.
4 Safety and security
No matter what stage of life you’re in, feeling safe and secure is always a priority, but especially so when you get older.
“Security is top of my list and I really do feel safe here. It’s not just about gates and alarms, it’s about having people around you who look out for you,” says Del Marsh from Wellington Manor Retirement Village. “Your children don’t have to worry about you so much. They know that you are in a safe environment.”
For Chris from The Verge: “Having Rosie (the emergency call system), just in case, hopefully we won’t need it, but it gives us peace of mind.”
“The staff are always so kind and caring,” says Norma Lyon from Belrose Country Club Retirement Village. “I feel happy, safe and secure at Belrose.”
5 Care when you need it
You may be fit and healthy, but there may come a time when you require assistance. Knowing that care is available when you need it can give you great peace of mind. Having access to care can also allow you to maintain your independence and stay in your own home for longer.
“At one stage we needed some care and we got in touch with the care team, they came up here and got approval for a package for my wife Nola,” says Norm from Tarragal Glen. “I had an accident some time ago, people down there were absolutely marvellous. They came up here and showered me and made the bed, which took a big load off Nola.”
“Dad’s been here over four years and really the time has gone very fast,” says Kym Stracey of her father Colin at Belrose Country Club. “He is just such a different person, I think he is the healthiest he’s been for probably, 12 to 14 years.
“Knowing that there’s someone on duty 24 hours a day, gives us peace of mind,” said Kym.
* Before moving into a RetireAustralia village we provide clarity on what maintenance the village service charges cover, giving you peace of mind and financial certainty for the future.
Want to feel informed and confident about whether living in a retirement village is right for you? Get your free guide to retirement village living.
