MAKING DECISIONS FOR THE FUTURE

23 OCTOBER 2020

Modern mature-lifestyle villages place the well-being and contentment of their resident firsts,and so usually allow pets and emphasise the importance of home-based medical care rather than frail-care facilities

Q: IF I can afford both a life right and to buy a unit outright, which option is best? What considerations should be made when deciding?

A: This depends on the individual as there are benefits to both models. Life right is more affordable but outright purchase provides capital growth on one’s investment. – Phil Barker, managing director of Renishaw Hills

A: There is no one answer to this question – it is a personal matter. Life rights hold significant advantages that should be investigated by those looking for a trouble free retirement without the hassles and costs related to owning, maintaining and disposing of a property. – Rob Jones, retirement living consultant to The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Village

Q: Why is it important to choose a facility with a frail-care centre if I am not at that stage? Why could I not just move to a frail-care facility when I need it?

A: Our preferred model is home-based care. Moving to a frail-care facility when one needs it is always an option. – Phil Barker, managing director of Renishaw Hills

A: A care centre is not an absolute requirement for a retirement village, but if there isn’t one, a viable alternative like good home-based care must be available. The village should have an arrangement with a local frail-care centre for when you may require care due to mental or physical circumstances that make care at home either impossible or too expensive.

We should not move to retirement villages only when we need them – it is preferable to form a social group within the village before you are frail, so that you have friends and acquaintances nearby in old age. – Rob Jones, retirement-living consultant to The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Village

Q: What happens if my spouse and I move to a village together and then one of us at some stage needs more care than the other? Would we have to live separately in different parts of the village or can we still live together?

A: This is one of the major advantages of home-based care. Loving couples can live together for much longer. – Phil Barker, managing director of Renishaw Hills

A: Ideally, you would simply have care provided in your home for each of you, as needed, and there would be no need to be separated. Financial, physical or mental circumstances may arise that require one of you to move to a care centre, in which case hopefully there is such a facility within the village or close by. – Rob Jones, retirement living consultant to The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Village

Q: I am very attached to my pets and cannot imagine living without them. What are the chances of finding a retirement home that allows pets?

A: Most modern mature-lifestyle villages allow two small dogs as well as caged birds, as we do at Renishaw Hills. The more traditional models often do not allow pets. – Phil Barker, managing director of Renishaw Hills

A: Many villages including The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Village allow pets – even in ground-floor apartments. These pets must be registered with management but are a wonderful part of life over 50. – Rob Jones, retirement-living consultant to The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Village

A: Pet policies are vitally important for retirees and being pet-friendly is a must in the retirement market. The companionship that pets offer is an important part of everyday life and is also great way for residents to keep fit and active. – Kevin Swart of Cenprop Real Estate – developers of Lazuli Coastal Retirement Estate

Q: My adult children and my grandchildren live in a different town to me. I love and miss them and want to live close to them. But I also have friends in the area I live. Should I move into a village/ home in my area or where my family are?

A: We always caution about following your children as they have their own lives and may uproot and move on, leaving you stranded in an area where you do not have friends. However, any reputable mature-lifestyle village will facilitate a community lifestyle where one makes many new friends. – Phil Barker, managing director of Renishaw Hills

A: The old adage is “Never follow your children”, and the reason is that while you have limited income and may be able to move once to their town, their lives are just getting started and they will most likely move several times over the years. Better to arrange visits and establish yourself in a community that is stable and where you can set down some roots, earn some money and practise some pastimes, sports and hobbies. – Rob Jones, retirement-living consultant to The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Village