Thinking of Retirement Living? Here are some questions to ask.

Thinking of Downsizing to a Retirement Village?

I know that downsizing from your family home – with the decades of memories and belongings – is a difficult decision. But if left too late, it can be a decision of necessity rather than choice. In the sage words of resident John Lamont “make the move while you’re still young enough to enjoy it!”

1. What will village life be like?

If you move, you want to ensure you’re moving to a place that doesn’t just look nice, but is nice. Ask the staff what village life is like, and even better – ask the residents.

We encourage any prospective residents to pop in to the retirement village they are interested in and chat with residents. There’s no better way to get a feel for the place than to immerse yourself in it. We believe there’s something special about our community. As resident Bev McPherson says, “it has such a great vibe”.

2. What support is there if I need extra care?

When planning your retirement, you should always consider changing care needs. Ask if the village has provisions for ageing in place, such as Home Care, and whether it has an aged care home on site. It’s also worth asking if these additional services are owned and run by the same operator and whether they can offer you a smooth transition to these other levels of care.

Many BaptistCare retirement village residents choose to receive home care to varying degrees, providing a helping-hand around the home and enabling them to stay in the comfort of their own home for longer. This can be provided by BaptistCare's at home team or residents might choose a different provider.

BaptistCare has four retirement villages that are co-located with a residential aged care home, ensuring you have peace of mind if your care needs change. This enables you to move onto the next stage of your life without having to leave the community you’ve come to know and love.

3. What are the financial options?

Retirement Villages operate a bit differently to a residential apartment. The good news is they operate under the Retirement Villages Act (meaning you’re protected by legislation) but the less-good news means there’s a learning curve with the sales process. We suggest you have this conversation face-to-face with each village, so they can give you information specific to your circumstance.

We think two of the best things are:

• No stamp duty! That means you’ll have more cash to splash on your retirement. Perhaps some new furniture for your new home?
• Adjustable financial structures. At our retirement villages, we can dial up or dial down the price of your apartment and exit fee in order to suit your financial situation. Read more about our flexible financials.

4. Are there any future development plans?

I’ve yet to meet someone who enjoys living next to a construction zone! So, make sure you ask the village what their future plans are. Some villages are built in stages so they take a number of years to complete, and older villages may have a knockdown-rebuild plan in place.

Should you choose a village that is undergoing development, we highly recommend you chose one that has aged care home already built. Life is unpredictable and you never know when you may need this level of care. Development plans can be impacted by any number of things such as community objections, DA negotiations, sales and weather so it’s impossible to say with confidence when a building may be complete.

How do I find a retirement village near me?

If you’d like to know more, contact us via the enquiry form below, and one of our friendly staff will be in touch to answer any questions you may have, otherwise, you can find your closest retirement village.

BaptistCare has been trusted by thousands of Australians across the retirement living, aged care and community service sectors since 1944. While we are not-for-profit, there are a few things that we certainly are for: outstanding quality and a quest to truly make a difference, not just in our retirement living communities, but in all communities.

Click the link below to learn more about BaptistCare's

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