Lifestyle

Before you choose a retirement village, you need to consider the quality of life that it offers. There is a wide range of things you need to think about. You'll need to consider housing and healthcare, security, social activities and services such as maintenance, transport, meals and laundry. A good retirement village should be planned with older people in mind and designed for their abilities and needs. This means access to good support services, and units, facilities and grounds that are easy for older people to use.

Tips for choosing the village with the best lifestyle for you

1. Think about the kind of village you'd like to live in. What kind of philosophy towards caring for older people would it have?
2. Think about the types of shared facilities and services you'd like - does the village you're considering offer them?
3. Make a list of the things that are important to you. This could be anything from gardening and having your meals provided to being able to keep pets or have visitors to stay. Having healthcare or security might be important to you. You might want to be able to get involved in the village and its activities.
4. Think about what your future needs are likely to be. Things that don't seem important now might become significant as you get older and become less mobile. Is this where you want to spend the rest of your life?

Visit our lifestyle checklist to get started. It suggests questions to ask, and may prompt you to think of others.