Are you looking forward to your retirement? It may seem like the end of an era, but it is also the beginning of an exciting new chapter, and where you spend your retirement can have a huge impact on your life. At Elanora Realty, we have been helping Gold Coasters make the right choice about retirement lifestyles, for more than 2 decades.
The reality of retirement in modern Australia is changing. There are endless accommodation choices for retirees—from apartments to retirement villages and over 50s resorts. You deserve the freedom to choose a lifestyle that fits your needs and preferences, and developments are springing up all over the country for the more discerning retiree.
How have retirement villages changed retirement?
The retirement age used to be around 65 but, more and more, people in their 50s are choosing to enjoy their life, their money and their freedom while they still can. With an increasingly astute demographic seeking the freedom to choose a retirement lifestyle that fits their needs and preferences, more quality options are opening up.
Resort living is an increasingly popular choice. A retirement resort offers much more than just a comfortable place to live, it offers a whole range of lifestyle opportunities. Facilities like indoor heated pools, spas, fully equipped gyms and business centres are now a standard requirement for many retirement villages. Retirees are seeking communities which allow them to be as active and involved as they choose.
What are the advantages of retiring in a luxury retirement village?
Most retirees today are fit and active with a genuine zest for life and a demand for fun and enjoyment. There is no reason to compromise on the quality of your life and choice of retirement accommodation.
Choosing the right retirement accommodation
Evolving lifestyles over the past few decades have made the retirement process less stressful than it once was. Growing old gracefully is no longer fashionable and an enormous range of exciting lifestyle alternatives exist for today’s seniors.
Choosing your accommodation is important and should be treated as seriously at this stage as at any other stage of the real estate lifecycle.
What elements should you consider when evaluating your potential lifestyle options?
Modern retirement villages are moving to the models of:
- Independent living arrangements
- Assisted care living arrangements
- Care centres
Independent living arrangements
This type of accommodation usually refers to the provision of self-contained townhouses or apartments where you are not dependent on any outside help or supervision
The advantages of the independent living include:
- Companionship with other residents
- A secure complex
- Numerous recreational facilities
- Comprehensive backup care, if required
The townhouses and apartments are generally designed to be low maintenance and often come with assistance for gardening and general household chores. Modern retirement villages often have their own restaurants and are usually located close to large and convenient services and shopping centres.
Assisted-care living provisions
If you require some help with daily living, the assisted-care living arrangement is ideal. You keep an independent style of living but it is complemented by a range of services tailored to your specific needs. Serviced apartments are often located nearer to the centre of a retirement village complex where residents have access to the facilities like restaurants and lounges. Assisted-care apartments should provide kitchenettes and lounges as well as ensuite bathrooms.
Advantages of assisted-care living arrangements include:
- Continuing high levels of independence
- The security associated with living in a recognised establishment
- High levels of care, as well as access to any potential care you may require
- Continuing friendship with other residents
Care centres
Care centres provide 24-hour care. They access to regular and immediate services such as medical practitioners, physiotherapists, nursing staff and are ideal for people who are unable to live independently.
Whatever your requirements, there is a retirement lifestyle to suit you. If you’d like advice on selling your property and choosing retirement accommodation call Alex or Jason today. Alternatively, download our Seniors’ property guide for more information on selling your home.
