Is a retirement village a term that confuses you? Do you associate retirement villages with nursing homes and aged care? If you do, stop right there! There is nothing further from the truth, writes Shae Baxter
If you believe that retirement villages are just a nicer way to sugar-coat nursing homes, think again. A retirement village and a nursing home are polar opposites, each having distinctly separate infrastructure, facilities, services, amenities and of course lifestyle.
So then, what exactly is a retirement village?
A retirement village, also referred to as a retirement community, is a form of residential housing built and designed specifically to cater to the needs and lifestyle of people aged 55 and over. They are an emerging community that began appearing in the 1970s and 80s.
Can you imagine coming home to a garden pruned and weeded, the roof cleaned of debris, building and property maintenance at your beckon call, and a bus driver to take you to the local shops?
This and more without you lifting a finger…
It’s a reality and over 160,000 residents around Australia come home to this everyday.
Why? Because they choose to live in a retirement village and the aforementioned services are just some of the benefits you may enjoy being part of a retirement community.
In the past, most residents entered into these villages aged in their seventies as part of a move to downsize, decrease maintenance responsibilities, experience a greater sense of safety and security, or for health and lifestyle reasons. Today younger retirees from age 55 are seeing the benefits of relocating to a retirement village. Not only has this lifestyle shift been of benefit to residents, but it has also freed up residential housing for younger families, stimulated the local economy and reduced the pressure on aged care, medical and hospital infrastructure.
According to the industry’s national peak body the Retirement Village Association (RVA), one of the great successes of the industry is that it is a unique and innovative model with an emphasis on lifestyle that also reduces demand on local services for seniors.
In Australia today the industry represents over 1,850 villages and communities that are supported by both the private sector and non-profit organisations. These communities house and support more than 160,000 people over the age of 55 who report very high levels of satisfaction with their experiences in a village.
Why more and more Australians, particularly baby boomers, choose to live in a retirement village
What is clear is that people enjoy living in retirement villages. More than 95 per cent of people who live in retirement villages indicate village life meets or exceeds their expectations.
Choice is an important part of what retirement villages in Australia represent. Unlike a move into residential aged care, which is usually predicated by a sudden decline in health or escalation of a neurodegenerative disorder, it is important to note that consumers choose to live in a retirement village and generally view this choice as a way of enhancing their quality of life.
Among these factors are security and support. Australians are living longer than ever before. The older the individual, the more health issues they are likely to experience. As people age and health needs increase, the great lifestyle offer, down-sizing the requirement for maintenance of property and grounds, being able to ‘lock and leave’ for travel and social interaction with like-minded and similar aged people, becomes very important.
What are the different types of accommodation options in retirement villages?
There are a range of accommodation options in retirement villages that are sure to suit your lifestyle and needs. They all have different benefits depending on exactly how you want to live your retirement:
Independent Living Unit (ILUs) or Villas is generally used to describe a retirement village residence. This can be a one, two, three or even a four bedroom dwelling that may form part of a high or medium-rise complex, a terrace, be semi-detached or completely stand-alone depending on the nature of the development. ILUs are best suited to people that are able to care for themselves. These units are ideal for active retirees who can live their life independently. They provide the lowest level of care, although a range of personal services may be available on request.
Serviced Apartments or Assisted Living Units provide supported accommodation for residents who require some assistance with daily living. These are generally one or two bedroom apartments, where services such as cleaning and laundry assistance are offered. Meals are provided in a communal dining room setting, although a small kitchenette is usually included within the apartment.
These units provide the highest level of care, usually including the regular provision of a range of personal services.
Lifestyle Village specialises in creating and managing affordable, master planned resort communities for people who are too young, too active and too independent for traditional choices. You'll find a lifestyle village is the perfect place to enjoy the best that life can offer, whether it's active outdoor pursuits or relaxing in pleasant surroundings with friends and family.
Combining outstanding resort facilities with stylish new homes in a fully landscaped environment, a lifestyle village strikes the perfect balance between privacy and independence whilst encouraging a vibrant and rewarding community in which to live.
Co-located village is a retirement village that has access to residential aged care facilities and services. Many not for profit organisations have retirement villages co-located with aged care facilities.
Other co-located villages can also have facilities and services to provide accessibility to all levels of care including Community Based Care.
Confusion can arise because low level residential care facilities sometimes also describe their accommodation as assisted living units. Aged care and nursing homes are regulated and partly funded by the Commonwealth Government and different legislation, admission criteria and funding arrangements apply.
The Home and Community Care (HACC) program aims to provide a basic range of maintenance and support services to help older people stay at home. The services are provided by government, community, privately and by church or charitable organisations throughout Australia, including rural and regional areas. The HACC program funds ethnic specific services in all states and territories.
Choosing a village you can be confident of
When the idea of a retirement lifestyle begins to evolve, it’s important that people start researching their options to decide what sort of lifestyle they want for their latter years. The option of a retirement village is becoming more and more favourable by discerning older Australians. Prospective residents are strongly advised to become informed and consult widely for whatever option they choose. If the retirement village option is favoured, then it is important to consult with lawyers, financial advisers, doctors and most importantly family and friends.
In selecting a retirement village it should not just be a case of being swayed by the marketing hype and documentation. A visit to the village and discussion with existing residents is also recommended.
The process of choosing an appropriate retirement village may seem daunting to you at first but rest assured there is plenty of help at hand. One sure fire way to make the decision process easier for you is to determine whether the village being considered has achieved an accredited status.
What does this mean and why should you look for an accredited retirement village?
The benefits of living in an accredited village
The benefit of knowing that a village has achieved accreditation centres on affording you peace of mind and confidence that your village is being managed and operated professionally. After all, you have made a significant financial and lifestyle investment in the village so you want to ensure that your new home meets industry standards. Other important benefits of living in an accredited village are:
- Ensuring the processes and procedures employed by the village are in accordance with relevant regulatory requirements.
- The village is a safe and harmonious environment to live in.
- The village strives to improve its effectiveness and the delivery of service to you through the operation of a continuous improvement plan.
- A guarantee that village staff is trained, professional and ethical in their provision of services and care to you.
An increasing number of Australians are approaching the RVA to enquire about whether particular villages accredited. You should be one of them.
Making the choice to choose an accredited retirement village
To achieve accreditation, a village must go through a thorough and extensive application process. Therefore, what a village must go through and achieve to become accredited should give you peace of mind about the commitment it makes when considering its professionalism and keeping in line with industry best practice.
The fact that a village is accredited should make it an easier decision for you. Downsizing and moving into a communal lifestyle after years in a family home can be daunting. A smooth transition with minimal disruption is what’s desired and knowing that a village is accredited will help immensely with this transition.
“Is this village accredited?”
This is the question you should ask before moving into a retirement village.
For the present and the future, the RVA is committed to informing and educating Australians about why retirement villages are great places to live and will seek out opportunities to spread the word. The RVA will be launching an industry first consumer portal website where you and other prospective residents can go to answer all your retirement living questions and needs. The new website is due to go live in May 2011.
In the meantime, you can visit www.rva.com.au and search for retirement villages online or call 1800 240 080 for further information.
Shae Baxter is the Web and Communications Manager at the Retirement Village Association (RVA). Shae is responsible for managing the RVA website and is leading the project for the development of the new consumer portal website to be launched in May 2011. To contact Shae directly, please email shae@rva.com.au.
The RVA is the national body that represents retirement village developers, owners, operators, managers and industry specialists nationally. Its role is not only to work with the government agencies, but to represent the industry to ensure environments that consumers aspire to live in. The RVA’s core role is to unify and represent the industry to ensure its continued growth and responding to Australia’s massive future housing need for older people.
Original Link URL: http://www.aprs.com.au/lifestyle-news/why-thousands-of-australians-are-choosing-to-live-in-retirement-village
