significant advantages to living in a retirement village
Written by David Dobson - Retirement village resident in Wellington
I support the issues raised in the Retirement Commissioner’s White Paper on the Retirement Villages’ legislative framework, which have been widely aired. Whilst residents are concerned about these matters, most will also agree that there are significant advantages in living in a village.
My late wife and I decided quite early that we would move into a village. We had a weekend cottage in Waikanae and were looking to move into a village in our retirement. Unfortunately, my wife became ill and needed regular hospital visits, so we opted for Wellington instead.
My wife died six months after we have moved to our villa in the Village at the Park but it gave her great peace of mind to know that I was here and safe and secure. It has also given my wider family peace of mind and I have been very happy with the choice we made.
Living in a retirement village takes so much stress away. It is safe and secure, you pay a weekly fee which covers things, such as insurance and rates. In my village – and I believe it is the case for most – that fee is fixed, so I still pay the same weekly fee as I did when I moved in 12-and-a-half years ago.
You don’t need to worry about any exterior maintenance, such as whether the roof or house need painting, or if the guttering is okay, or finding a plumber or other tradesperson if something goes wrong. I get my windows cleaned and my lawn mowed and I don’t pay any extra for that, it is all so easy.
There is a high proportion of single women living in villages and I think that the level of security is particularly comforting for them.
As for the fees, my view is that it is really no different from living in an apartment block anywhere in a city, where you have to pay body corporate fees.
An aspect often ignored in discussions about retirement villages is the great benefit of living in a community where you can be as independent as you like - retirement villages are not rest homes, they are full of active people – but where there is security, support when you need it and the option for higher levels of care if that becomes necessary.
I felt particularly fortunate to be here during the Alert Level 4 lockdown last year. It was very secure. The management made an arrangement with the local supermarket and we all put our orders in, the managers put a bulk order through and then it was all divided up and delivered to our doors, without contact.
They also set up a mini shop in the cafeteria where we could buy things like milk, bread, tinned items, breakfast cereal, biscuits and some vegetables – the everyday things you might pop to the store for. We were very well looked after.
It’s important to bear in mind that a lot of single elderly people can be very lonely and many elderly New Zealanders have family who are living overseas. I have two children in Australia, a stepdaughter in Auckland and another in Santiago and one daughter in Wellington. Some people are not that mobile and many don’t drive any more.
Village life provides companionship, friendship and many activities on site if you want to do them. There is a whole raft of things going on. At my village, we have a small gym, a very good swimming pool, a croquet green, bowls, a library, billiard room and games room with table tennis tables and indoor bowls mats. There are lots of different groups from darts to dance, bridge, a choir and a book club and more. Management run trips to the supermarket several times a week for people to do their grocery shopping. We also have a village residents’ association, which I chaired for a number of years.
We have the café and a happy hour on Friday night - we usually have 40 or 50 people all sitting chatting at that - and two nights a week there is a dinner in the cafe, which you pay for if you want to attend.
It is very important to do your homework before you make the decision to move into a retirement village. Applicants are required to engage a solicitor to go through their Occupation Right Agreement (ORA) with them and it’s important to use someone who really understands retirement village contracts and will make sure you fully understand all aspects.
If you are considering moving to a retirement village, visit different villages, talk to residents, involve your family if you can, and above all, think about if you really want to live in a retirement village and if so, which is going to be the best one for you.
David Dobson has been retired for 25 years. His career was in the agribusiness sector, including with the New Zealand Dairy Board and 18 years as CEO of the Pork Industry Board. He has lived at Wellington’s Village at the Park retirement village for more than 12 years.