29 October 2024

Stories | Retirement Living

Many of us cannot wait to retire. It’s a time to ease into the good life with friends, travel and relaxation. It’s also a time when many start to consider downsizing to a retirement living community.

If this is you, it’s important to consider a retirement village that accommodates for your needs now and into the future. Will you have access to more help around the home if you need it? Is there a co-located residential aged care home close by to support both you and your partner should it be required down the track?

This article explores how making an informed decision on retirement living now, can help pave the way for a seamless transition into a permanent aged care home, if and when it’s required.

Key takeaways:

Choosing a retirement village co-located with an aged care home creates peace of mind for your future.
Support is available to help you remain active and independent in your own home for longer.
There can be significant benefits in remaining with the one provider when transitioning from retirement living to residential care.

Our top four benefits

Make a big move, just once

At any stage of life, moving is stressful. While downsizing itself can be challenging, moving into the right retirement village can open a new world of social activity and engagement with like-minded individuals. Beyond cultivating lasting relationships and an active lifestyle, your retirement community can go a long way in bringing you peace of mind throughout the next stage of your life.

By selecting a retirement village that is co-located with a residential aged care home, the hard work of relocating is already complete. You know your community and you feel at home there, easing your transition into residential care if it’s ever required.

Social activities and engagement

We all know that staying social is an important part of maintaining our health and wellbeing as we age.

This requirement does not stop suddenly once you move to residential aged care. The need for social engagement increases. A certain sense of familiarity and community comes with receiving aged care services within your retirement village.

You’ll find friendly faces you know taking the same steps to access local permanent care. And your healthy social life can continue effortlessly, with the social activities, outings and village events you’ve come to know and love from your retirement living community.

On-site health services

Ageing in place looks different for everyone, however, for residents in BaptistCare retirement villages, it means supporting you to live as independently in your home for as long as possible.

Unfortunately, our health and wellbeing can change quickly as we age so it’s important to consider prevention, rather than just rehabilitation. Access to help at home can be a powerful tool in this regard.

With BaptistCare at home, for example, your personalised care plan may include services from a multidisciplinary team of allied health professionals who can support you in maintaining your physical health and mobility. This might include occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, nutritional support and speech pathology – all subsidised by the government’s Home Care Packages program.

You can explore more information about government funding and the four levels of home care packages here.

Financial benefits

Retirement villages with co-located aged care services also mean you can stay consistent with the same provider.

There are several costs to understand when it comes to thinking about making the move into a retirement community, and it can feel overwhelming at times!

That’s why we’ve broken down all the information you need to help you understand how much it will cost to move into a retirement village.

From retirement living to residential care: Hear from the residents

Elizabeth experienced a seamless transition into Cooinda Court aged care home after living in the neighbouring retirement village, Willandra Village, for 22 years. She made the move due to health reasons after being hospitalised with pneumonia.

“I know my family had been worried about my health and wellbeing even before I became ill. They helped me move all my things over from the village. The staff were so welcoming and friendly, I think part of the reason I’ve settled in so well is because of their care and kindness,” said Elizabeth.
“I was pleasantly surprised to see lots of familiar faces I knew from my time in the village, and I’ve made some new friends, too.”

You can read more about Elizabeth’s move into aged care here.

If you’re retiring to a more rural setting, it's practical to take advantage of a ready-made, welcoming community.

This was the case for Patricia, who moved into Angus Bristow Retirement Village in Elderslie after downsizing from her family home in Toongabbie, Greater Western Sydney.

At 87 years old and struggling to maintain her large family home, Patricia said the move was the best decision she’s ever made.

“One day, the penny dropped, and I thought, why not move to a retirement village. I can still live independently while enjoying a sense of close community and support. There are some things I miss of course, like my pool, but there are local facilities here too, and so far the benefits have far outweighed the challenges.”

You can learn more about Patricia’s experience in moving into a retirement village here.

Popular choices of retirement villages with aged care services

At BaptistCare, we have a number of beautiful retirement villages which offer a range of aged care services for local residents. Some of our most popular communities are listed below:

BaptistCare Aminya Village

In the heart of the Hills District, surrounded by award-winning gardens, Aminya Village features a range of refurbished one and two-bedroom units.

The co-located residential care home Aminya Centre offers a warm and welcoming place to call home, with 119 general care rooms featuring ensuites, large built-in wardrobes and emergency-monitoring systems for your safety and security.

BaptistCare The Gracewood Community

Nestled in Sydney’s beautiful Cumberland Woodland, our award-winning established community, The Gracewood Community, provides a fully integrated independent living environment, with co-located aged care available as your needs change.

The co-located residential aged care home Gracewood Centre offers 96 general care rooms and 32 secure dementia care rooms and features onsite amenities including a café, landscaped gardens and covered terraces, chapel, hair salon, therapy spa, library, electric BBQs and a private function room for family gatherings.

BaptistCare Maranoa Village

Maranoa Village is a retirement village community located within charming Alstonville that flourishes as a village within a village, with easy access to everything you’ll ever need just a short stroll away.

The co-located aged care home Maranoa Centre provides 90 beds across all levels of care including dementia care and respite care. The home sits on truly magnificent grounds of lush rainforest, making it a beautiful spot for daily walks.

BaptistCare Warena Village

Just a short stroll from Bangor Shopping Centre, with views towards the city, Warena Village is a peaceful oasis in the Sutherland Shire.

The co-located aged care home, Warena Centre offers residents stunning landscaped gardens and comfortable sitting rooms where they can take in the natural vistas.

How can I find a retirement Village near me?

At BaptistCare, we’ve been providing quality, person-centred care for over 80 years across our residential care home and retirement living communities in New South Wales, ACT, and Western Australia.

You can explore the benefits of co-located aged care and retirement living communities by simply using BaptistCare’s handy online tool to find a location near you.

Click the link below to learn more about BaptistCare services:

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Key reasons to choose a retirement village with aged care services