Dear 65-year-olds, moving to a retirement home doesn’t make you old and useless

BY BONNY FOURIE bronwyn.fourie@inl.co.za

Experts suggest many people fight the decision to move into a retirement community – until they discover they are running out of options

MANY South Africans nearing, or at, retirement age delay making decisions for their later years, fearing that this next stage of life will take away their independence or make them appear feeble.

And this is especially the case when it comes to moving out of their homes and into retirement communities or villages, or even smaller, more manageable properties.

Often just discussing the option to move into such a home or community is a tricky one for families to broach and can lead to friction.

Modern retirement villages offer retirees the advantage of independent living in their own spaces, without the timeconsuming maintenance of their own homes, says Garry Reed, managing director of Evergreen Lifestyle Villages.

And there is even anecdotal evidence that such a lifestyle boosts one’s life expectancy, thanks to the amenities these villages offer.

When is it time to move? Phil Barker of Renishaw Property Developments says this is a very subjective decision and one that is often taken when people’s health starts to fail. His experience is that the vast majority of people leave it later than they should.

“The increase in stress levels of moving home is directly proportional to the age of the mover. Everyone handles stress differently, so this is not a universal law, but moving at 65 is generally far less stressful than moving home at 75.

“One needs to be proactive and understand that age-related illnesses can come on suddenly.

“The retiring Baby-Boomer generation is more proactive in this regard and there are more people moving into mature lifestyle villages in their late 50s and early 60s, which is the ideal time, bearing in mind that modern villages cater for active lifestyles.”

Barker suggests families encourage their elderly loved ones to visit friends or relatives who have made such a move.

Considerations for moving to a modern retirement village Reed says the main considerations revolve around:

• Physical health: In later life, the importance of being able to access medical care quickly and easily, while not breaking the bank, will become a priority, so having health-care facilities and trained professionals close at hand means retirees will be able to enjoy their golden years without worrying unduly.

• Mental health: Loneliness, boredom and social isolation become a reality as one ages, particularly if people are stuck behind high walls in the suburbs, nursing a spouse, or no longer able to drive. Retirement villages, however, are home to vibrant communities of elderly people who are keen to make new friendships, to stay active and to learn new skills.

• Home and garden maintenance: Cooking, cleaning and gardening get more difficult as one ages and keeping up with home maintenance can be both onerous and costly. In modern retirement villages, professional teams take care of all aspects of daily life, such as cleaning; painting and repairs; gardening and landscaping; health care; housekeeping; laundry and catering.

• Safety and security: At most professionally-run retirement villages, 24-hour security is part of the package. And if residents go away on holiday, they can simply lock up and go.

• Financial peace of mind: When people buy into a retirement village, they get a lifestyle that suits their needs.

However, Chris Cilliers, chief executive and principal of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty in the Winelands, says the traditional concept of retirement accommodation – apartment block-style old-age homes offering little more than a roof over one’s head and three meals a day – falls far short of current needs and there is a “serious shortfall of suitable options”.

“Seniors are looking for a variety of housing options, including active lifestyle living, residential estates that also offer frail-care options and upmarket urban apartments for downsizing.” Modern retirement estates offer residents the adaptability to downscale their accommodation according to their changing needs. Furthermore, many over-60s now find they do not have enough money saved for a traditional retirement, says Gerhard Kotzé, managing director of the RealNet estate agency group.

“At the same time, many people who were counting on staying in a corporate job to build their retirement funds are being retrenched in their 40s or 50s and forced to make another plan.”

The result, he says, is that an increasing number of people over 50 are not “winding down” but instead seeking to beef up their educational qualifications or re-skill entirely so they can forge a second career or start a business that will take them through to 70 or even 80.

Howard Betts, founder of project management business Betts Townsend, is one retiree who has chosen to keep working.

“I have just turned 65 and I am by no means ready to retire. I still enjoy what I do – in fact, I am at a particularly rewarding stage in my career when I am mentoring the next generation, yet I still feel like I am learning.”

In most of the built environment professions, Betts says the benefits of experience and maturity of seniors cannot be understated, with their ability to anticipate problems, think of quick solutions, and deal with multiple things simultaneously coming from many years of making their own mistakes and learning from those who are more experienced. However, he does feel he is missing out on the “golden years” experience.

“I am not keen on retiring, as I enjoy what I do, but I would like to be in a position to take two or three months off at a time and travel Africa. But that is going to have to wait.”

Smaller, manageable apartments Decisions like the one Betts has taken are more often than not accompanied by a desire for a change in lifestyle and a new home, Kotzé says.

“With their children grown, and a new career or business on the horizon, we see an increasing number of middle-aged people selling their family houses and moving to more secure and easily managed properties.”

Second-career buyers should preferably also choose homes that will allow them to age in place, if they want to do so without making too many changes, Kotzé says.

Useful design features to look out for in this regard are flat, open layouts without too many stairs; non-slip bathroom and kitchen flooring; easy-to-open doors and windows; accessible kitchen cabinets; lower light switches and plug points and at least one shower with sturdy handrails.

Additional reporting by Xolile Mtembu