Five benefits of living in a retirement village

There are many known benefits of living in a retirement village, but making the move is never a decision that’s made lightly. Are you ready to retire? Is it time to downsize? Do you want more security now and into the future? There are a number of considerations for every individual or couple, and solutions are available that can meet your unique needs. Understanding the benefits, you can access at the other end of that move can help you make the best decision for your unique situation, be it staying in your current home, downsizing, or making the move to an over 55’s retirement village.

Tracey Jones, Manager of BaptistCare The Gracewood Village in Kellyville, has the opportunity to walk couples and individuals through this major decision. Here, Tracey has highlighted five benefits of living in a retirement village that our BaptistCare residents experience upon moving in, including; Low Maintenance, Social Life & Community Living, Increased Security, Onsite Facilities, and A Smart Financial Move.

1. Low Maintenance

People find an incredible amount of freedom when they relinquish the responsibilities of property maintenance and upkeep of a big home - particularly men. To not have the concern around the maintenance of your home enables people to lock the door and go away knowing everything is looked after in their absence.

We see residents packing up their Winnebago or taking off to places like Canada knowing, not only that their apartment is being looked after, but that everything we provide for them we’re responsible for. The maintenance and upkeep gets done regardless of whether they are here or not, and it’s done very well.

We see our BaptistCare residents benefiting from the carefree environment that retirement living provides – being able to step away from the never-ending worry about the property itself. The low maintenance aspect allows the freedom to do more with your time and better enjoy it.

2. Social Life and Community Living

Having friends and a strong sense of community is good for your health and wellbeing. Isolation and lack of socialisation as we age can create greater concerns with mental health. This was very much highlighted over the last two years living with Covid.

The social and community aspect at The Gracewood Community are amazing. BaptistCare Retirement Villages promote resident run social committees that are made up of the residents themselves. Their committee then works with our village teams. We’re here to enable them to put together a series of social activities that everyone would enjoy.

At The Gracewood Community, we have a very active events committee. They coordinate everything from beautiful dining experiences, to 20’s nights, performers singing in the communal woodlands and right through to our single’s soiree night, for singles and widowers, where we’ve had numerous relationships formed. They even organise their own travel tours, we actually have a quota of our village residents touring Western Australia right now.

A highly skilled and diverse group of staff, with different skillsets, work with us at BaptistCare to make sure our residents here receive what they need, we help coordinate groups with similar interest. We help our residents discover like-interests.

By creating relationships with local community colleges, we enabled the delivery of cooking classes for men. We are home to residents who are avid photographers. They often take trips to source some amazing photography opportunities. And a walking group who head out to numerous locations seeking the ultimate walking track.

The activities vary, and they are multi-levelled to the residents’ interest and ability. You don’t have to be the fittest person, the best photographer, the fastest walker or a potential head chef. It is just about joining in and giving it a go.

3. Increased Security

As we all get older, we all appreciate security. Not only are BaptistCare Retirement Villages purposely built for ageing-in-place, they offer the security of living in a tight-knit community as opposed to a large double storey home in the suburbs.

We often hear there was a catalytic moment when a resident decided to make the move to village life. Perhaps it was an incident in the neighbourhood or a health issue either for themselves or their partner. At some point, we all question our vulnerabilities and ask whether it would be more beneficial to have more support available. Many of our residents are still extremely independent and active. However, in some journeys, people have acknowledged a situation that lead them to question where they want to be 12 months or two years down the track.

It’s always been about having the independence, the beautiful environment, the car space, and doing whatever you want to do, but knowing if at any moment you do need care or support, it’s there, and we will help you manage that transition.

What we’ve always had and done well at BaptistCare is the wrap-around support services that enables a person to stay independently in their apartment. At Gracewood, for example, we have everything you could possibly need; from your care at home services, to the retirement village, and the aged care facility next door. We also have day respite, which is helpful for loved ones caring every day for their partner experiencing debilitating health issues.

As an extra safety measure in the BaptistCare retirement village, we also have a monitoring connection system that helps people to live more independent active lives, whilst having the confidence that they can call for emergency help at the push of a button should they need it. This is allocated across all BaptistCare retirement villages, except The Grange.

4. Onsite Facilities

Outside of our beautiful, spacious apartments, residents benefit from the facilities they gain access to in the retirement village the moment they move in. At The Gracewood Village, we have a resort-style pool that our team and contractors maintain. I know many people downsize to get rid of the swimming pool responsibilities! There are stunning grounds and gardens, the fully functional gym, the restaurant, the café, the BBQ and alfresco dining areas.

It’s very much about delivering that resort-style lifestyle assisting you to settle in quickly. I love it when residents say that they feel like they’re still on holidays when they’ve been living here for months.

5. A Smart Financial Move

We have trained sales consultants that can offer varied financing options to meet your financial lifestyle. This means you can make choices that reflect your own personal interests. Every person is different, and that's why we've developed these flexible financing options designed to suit your individual circumstances. Also, our contracts offer complete transparency. We do always recommend you seek independent financial advice, as there are so many ways that you can get the right living choice to unlock the most from the sale of your property.

Find a BaptistCare Retirement Community near you

You can explore the benefits of retirement community living near you, simply use BaptistCare’s handy online tool for to find a location in New South Wales or Canberra.

Click the link below to learn more about BaptistCare's

Retirement Living | Financials Explained | Adaptive Living | Find a village

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Five benefits of living in a retirement village