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The retirement village setting is often the first thing that comes to mind when picturing a future in aged care. The personal quarters, space for entertaining family, and access to professional assistance with daily activities make retirement villages an appealing option for many people.
If you are planning for the future for yourself or a loved one, we’ve put together this quick guide to answer the question of “what is a retirement village?” and show you what you can expect from your retirement village experience.
Retiring in a community
Slowing down does not mean that our ties to the community are severed, and in fact, community engagement and care is something you will see more of in a retirement village setting. As the name suggests, a retirement village is a cluster of homes and apartments where like-minded individuals live.
These accommodation offerings are entirely secure, safe, and furnished with every comfort you can imagine. While most of these abodes come with a self-contained kitchenette, residents are often still encouraged to meet and eat communally if they prefer and take advantage of the many other communal spaces and amenities.
A full social calendar
There is always an activity or event in full swing at a retirement village. Whether you like to exercise, be in nature, or simply have a chat and play games over a cup of tea – you will find this and more in a retirement village.
Just like any community, its participants are diverse in their lifestyle, cultures, and interests. This means that when your friends and family visit, they can be a part of the atmosphere of the village or catch up one-on-one in the comfort of your residence.
The close quarters and relaxed care style usually means that friendships grow organically with other retirees and the friendly carers who work in the village, affording you an intimate social group as big and active as you like.
Maintenance and home duties
One of the best parts of living in a retirement village is saying goodbye to housework and hello to more time in your day to enjoy the things you love. All the cleaning, tidying and other home maintenance tasks are taken off your plate and administered by professionals. What a dream!
This means that at all times, your home and garden is sparkling clean, allowing you to commit to social engagement and relaxation with your new-found time. You might even enjoy hosting now with your home always looking its best and ready for guests.
The support doesn’t end there either – you will also have routine visits from hairdressers and beauty therapists who can service you from your home at a time that suits you.
Live in the location you want
City, coast or hinterland – where do you see yourself retiring? With retirement villages being developed in every state, you are truly spoiled for choice. It’s always an idea to do an onsite tour of several locations before you make the final decision and bring your friends and family along to ask the questions you don’t think of and can assess the nearby amenities access points. Ideally, you want to choose a location close to your family – although there may be other important parameters for you, so make sure that you consider them.
Being well-informed about the options available to you is only going to put you in a better position. We should all be planning for our retirement, or at least starting to understand what we value from our lifestyles and what we expect to see from these retirement villages.
