Planning for your future care and support needs in a retirement community

Is a family home or retirement village home best for ageing in place?

Changes to the Government care scheme in 2018 mean retirees can now decide for themselves how they allocate their funding allowance – in other words, which services they require and who they want to provide them. This development brings with it a push towards more, and higher care, services being delivered at home.

Ageing in place statistics show that most senior Australians want to stay in their own home for as long as possible – and why wouldn’t you? Especially now that you can access the same level of care in your family home as you can in a retirement village.

So the question then is, “What’s the difference between receiving care and support services in my family home, and receiving them while living in a retirement village?”

In this news post we’ll talk about the three main differences to be aware of – in terms of cost, delivery, and social needs.

1) Comparing the cost of aged care

It’s more cost effective to receive care in a retirement village setting than in your family home. This is because the care provider can supply services to more people in one location, which creates efficiencies around things like travel, scheduling, and administrative costs compared to providing the same care in the wider community.

2) Facilitating the delivery of care services

The effectiveness of care delivery can either be enhanced or hindered by the style of accommodation you choose.

For example, a retirement village will usually be purpose-built to support you as you age, by including design features such as larger door frames, open plan living areas, ramps instead of stairs, and the like. The villa layouts will include many design features to enhance liveability and comfort for seniors, and are particularly designed to function well when services are being delivered.

By contrast, the family home – even if it’s low set – typically has a number of stairs such as those that lead up to the front door or out to the backyard etc. Door frames, bathrooms, and hallways can be narrow and not suitable for walkers or a person assisting another.

3) Ensuring your social needs are met

It’s not just the practicalities such as costs and delivery of services to consider. Making sure your emotional and psychological needs continue to be met as you age is an increasing challenge amongst our aged community. And staying in the family home can often exacerbate this real issue of social isolation.

You’ll find retirement villages are communities of like-minded people which are usually conveniently located to major amenities such as shopping and lifestyle centres, health and wellness facilities, entertainment, transport and more.

But even more importantly, retirement communities also provide a host of services and activities within the village itself, only a short walk or scooter ride from each dwelling. More often than not, the family home won’t be located quite so conveniently – particularly if it becomes necessary for you to relinquish owning a car.

See how Renaissance helps facilitate the care and support you need

Ageing in place is important, especially because there’s no place like home. The challenge is deciding on where you’d like to make your ‘home’, and finding somewhere that meets your wants and needs, both now and in the future.

We invite you to come for a visit Renaissance Retirement Living at Victoria Point, and see for yourself whether our community is a good fit for you. Call Renaissance today on (07) 3820 7700 or get in touch online to book a time.