Retirement Villages, aka Integrated Retirement Communities

Jewelle

I have found that lots of posters here on GN are usually against these places, however speaking from personal experience - my mum moved into one of these last September aged 88. She absolutely loves it and wishes she had done it years earlier.

An old friend of Mum moved into a retirement village in a lovely spot with beautiful grounds about five years ago, she was lonely before with a house and garden to keep up so it was an ideal move for her.The downside is the expense as there are annual fees to keep up, but in her case her DH left her well provided for and her house sale more than covered the new apartment.

There was a fascinating TV programme about pre-schoolers regularly visiting a retirement home and it produced benefits for both.

Luckygirl3 the day centre my Dad goes to has visits from the children at a local nursery quite regularly.
They do singing sessions and craft sessions together.

Just before Christmas Dad was telling me they'd had the little children in again that day and they'd been icing gingerbread men.
I asked him if he'd done one and he said, "I did actually. Not very well but I did do one!"

He's 94 and I bet it's the first time he's ever done that 😁

I looked into one on a rental basis. Beautiful place and everything included. A two-bed was £5,000 per month!

My mum was in a retirement complex and we had no problem selling at the right price. I have a friend who I knew through various groups who was adamantly against retirement places, she was widowed in her 60s and stayed on in the family home. Now in her late 70s a fall put her in hospital and then on her own at home. She has completely changed her mind and is moving into a complex soon. She says she never realised how isolated you could get even with a good family around. Many friends had stopped driving and she was very lonely.

Time to build retirement complexes with nurseries on the premises and shared activities.

There was a fascin ating TV programme about pre-schoolers regularly visiting a retirement home and it produced benefits for both.

If you have no family I think when you are very old and cannot manage your house, they are a good idea and you have company you choose. I have my own home and am very independent, find a lot of things I did are not possible and getting people to do jobs hard. Son wants me by him but there's nothing going on and I would be lonely. However, living in a retirement village with just elderly I would hate. The costs are excessive in and you have half the space you had before. I never thought I would have this problem, I want my own garden and things around me and see that slipping away.

Out of curiosity, I looked at one similar at the "model village" of Poundbury. Thank goodness for the internet comments. A lot of problems, plus you have to be wealthy to start with. That let me out anyway.

Read in the papers today that families left with an unsellable retirement flat are having to pay double rates because they are being classed as second home owners.

retirement villages are great for those who like coffee mornings, organised activities etc BUT they all come at a cost.
Bluestone is one developer who builds nice homes but you have to pay a service charge. We looked at a home in the Cotswolds which shared the site with another builder. That meant 2 lots of service charges . Whilst the builder of family homes allowed the residents to hang their washing outside , the builder of the homes for those in retirement did not.
Not sure where you are based but the Chocolate Box site near Bristol is aimed at retirees.

My ex neighbour loves his one, he’s 95 and living the life of Riley. He said it’s given him a new lease of life since his wife died and he moved there.

I think you have to remember that they are not care homes. If you need care later, you have to either move or pay for visiting care. I have friends in three different retirement homes, and they all seem happy but I sense sometimes that they are justifying the move. Facilities such as washers, dryers, restaurants, etc. have to be shared and as more buildings are added to the site this becomes strained. I have asked what the service charges are, as I would like to compare them with the upkeep of a house, but I never get a direct answer. It seems more like living in a permanent hotel, and doesn't appeal to me as I like wandering round the garden in the morning in my nightie!

Barbadosbelle

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Ilovedogs22 ......

Couldn't that equally apply to your next door neighbours, or the ones opposite?
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It could if you're lucky. My mum had lovely neighbours but they were mostly younger working families - they'd look out for her and keep her safe best they could, but they weren't company or people to socialise with beyond celebratory events. Certainly not cafe company, and their dog walking was done early/late. And they didn't have emergency call buttons! Mum didn't want to feel like the local charity case. The disadvantages of a retirement community - all older folk - is also an advantage where you are all, if not in the same boat, certainly bobbing along in your own boat in a similar direction

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Ilovedogs22 ......

Couldn't that equally apply to your next door neighbours, or the ones opposite?
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petra it's given my Dad a new lease of life.
He's got people who he can relate to, people to socialise with, people who care about him and care for him 😊

Living in any retirement community ages you. 😥

I would HATE to live with all old people I need to see life as it really is, old, young, men, women black, white and everything between all mixed up in a kaleidoscope of humanity

Does anyone remember the American film Cocoon? I wouldn’t mind living in one like that, but mostly they fill me with horror.

My 88 y old mum moved to a lovely one when she was widowed and I'm so glad she did. The flat is beautiful, gardens are lovely and she could keep her dog. More importantly she still has independence despite some bouts of poor health. There is onsite emergency help 24 hrs plus laundry assistance although she has her own equipment. She uses the cafe daily, visiting beauticians and podiatrist, and attends film evenings and quizzes - or doesn't if she doesn't want to. In an emergency everyone rallies round. It's not perfect - can be lonely at times, and despite the wide age ranges there (65 to 95+) there's a lot of talk about illnesses and the horrors of old age! It's definitely not for everyone, and of course nothing can replace my dad. It is very expensive, and she isn't a wealthy woman. There are mechanics in place to sell if necessary which would obviously not be to our advantage, but we aren't looking for an inheritance, we want her safe and as happy as she is able to be today. We are prioritising comfort and well being in the here and now over possible future challenges, hopefully the right decision! So far so good

from the little I know I think they can be a money trap. there was one by here even had a helicopter pad for visitors! I think the idea was people from big cities like London would want to move to the village then high flying relatives would pop in often to see their nearest and dearest. needless to say the company went bust and the place as far as I know is just left empty

If I could move into the Thursday Murder Club complex I'd grab it with both hands, sounds great but in reality I would despair of being so closely bound to a group of older people especially Brits. I am a Brit and I'm elderly but am so tired of getting into conversations with people my age who just want to moan and groan about everything. Living near a village full of mostly elderly people this seems to be the norm at the few local events I attend. At least at the moment I can get away from it.

I enquired about retirement flats a short while ago as I was attracted by the large room sizes, the events and community there, and also the price of £100K for a 1 bedroom flat. However, the estate agent warned me that the lease was short, the maintenance charges over £3000 pa plus ground rent, and you had to pay a 10% exit fee to the leaseholder if you sold!! So you could pretty much say goodbye to leaving an inheritance to your children.

They are difficult to sell and very expensive to buy or rent them. I always think of Ken moving to one in Corrie that storyline was interesting.

Personally, I could think of nothing worse. I’d much rather live in a mixed community, with neighbours of different ages around me. The important point to consider is that there is adequate facilities nearby - shops, GP, pharmacy, dentist, church, etc. wherever you choose to live.

Imagine living with just old people - horrendous and unnatural.

I think like every other choice in life certain solutions suit some people, but not others. Some things do not suit someone in one set of circumstances but do in another.

A friend of mine who turned down the idea of a retirement flat 12 years ago when her husband died when she was only 67 has had 11 years living in a lovely house with a garden and with her daughter a 15 minute drive away, but now her health is failing and her daughter is also in poor health, so she is selling up and moving to a retirement complex a few minutes walk from her daughter and family. When circumstances changed so have her decisions.