Retirement is meant to be the golden period in your life when you envision living a vibrant, stress-free, and responsibility-free life amidst a close-knit community. A time when you can finally fulfil your dreams and desires and spend quality time with yourself.
Taking the decision to consider retirement villages as a living option and choosing the right one for yourself can be a daunting step, as it translates into choosing to step out of the familiar life that you have worked hard to build for yourself and start life afresh in a new set-up.
We have streamlined the process for your convenience, which will help guide you in making the right decision for your retirement life and make the transition easier.
Guidelines for finding the perfect retirement village in NSW for your lifestyle and budget:
- Different types of retirement communities: First and foremost, it is important to be aware of the varied options available for you to choose from that align with your requirements and budget.
- Assisted Living: As the term suggests, assisted living is independent living arrangements with the addition of assistance and supportive living, where the trained staff provide personal care, assistance with daily activities and routines like bathing, walking, and dressing, and supervised management of food and medicines.
- Independent Living: An independent lifestyle, like living in your own home, with the added benefits of living worry-free with all the daily needs like housekeeping services, maintenance of the property, transportation, activities, etc., managed by a dedicated and professionally trained staff.
- Specialised Living: These are communities that provide specialised care for residents suffering from debilitating ailments like memory loss, partial mobility, etc.
- Financial aspects: The next important step is to understand the cost involved and the amenities covered by the cost. Find out the cost structure and the services included in the price. Chargeable services like:
- Basic utilities include cable, phone, etc.
- Housekeeping and laundry services
- Security, maintenance, and arrangements for emergencies
- Nutrition and meals
- Social activities and transportation
- Centres and programmes for health and wellness
Once you have all these details, you can analyse the financials by comparing the cost of living in your home versus living in a retirement village in NSW. Do keep in mind that expenses like house tax, mortgage, home insurance, etc. that you are paying while living in your own house are not applicable when living in a retirement village.
- Reputation and reviews: While considering options to pick the best one for yourself, due diligence is important regarding their reputation. You can speak with the residents and read reviews online, to know the quality of the services and amenities, along with the code of conduct and the atmosphere of the retirement villages. Take a decision based on the feedback you receive.
- Emergency services: Since most retirement villages are on the outskirts of a city, finding out about their emergency services and set-up is very essential. Find out the nearest hospital and medical facilities and whether the retirement village in NSW is connected with the hospital. Do they have emergency vehicles on standby and an on-call house doctor available 24 hours a day? Do they employ physical therapists, or would that be your responsibility to arrange? Are the transportation charges for doctor’s appointments, etc. inclusive, or will there be an extra cost?
- Social life: Living in a retirement village does not mean that you will be cut off from your family and friends. Apart from finding out their policies regarding visitors and arrangements for you to visit your family and friends, you should also find out about the community’s social activity calendar and arrangements. Do they organise a variety of activities for the residents to participate in on a regular basis? How is the cultural atmosphere within the community? Are the meals planned by nutritionists and prepared hygienically? If you have a pet that is like a family member to you, find out whether the retirement village allows your pets to stay with you.
- Secure zone: The rooms and common areas must be accident-proofed in consideration of the age and agility of the residents. Skid-proof floors, bathrooms, grip bars and handles affixed for support, emergency alarm buttons in rooms and common areas, and so on.
Once you are satisfied regarding all the above mentioned aspects, moving into your chosen retirement village in NSW will be the best decision you will make for a peaceful and happy retirement life.
