Home alone or retirement village Joys!

A topic that must cross all our minds in the over 50's section.

Is it better to stay where I am and enjoy my privacy despite the chores of looking after a private property OR is it wiser to sell up [and not leave it to the rellies] and move into the luxury of a retirement village [top of the range of course] with all mod cons, security guaranteed, services provided including social and health and the option of meeting lots of new and exciting people.

The choice is yours!

Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!

What do you mean 'The choice is yours'..... I thought initially you were referring to a decision for 'you' to make.... If you have 'plenty' of money - then go for it.... For me I'd rather spend the money on maintenance, knowing what I know now !

Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!

Not every one will have an option. I will stay put until ill health dictates differently.

Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!

I am not entirely sure that a retirement village is a good choice. One of my seniors' club members fell and broke a leg in one of the common areas in her retirement village. She called out for help but no one heard. Fortunately she had her mobile phone (kept only for emergencies??) in her bag, finally she managed to get it out, turn it on and call 000 and get an ambulance herself.

Two lessons,

1. Your fellow resident's are as deaf as posts and indoors waiting to die.
2. If you have a mobile phone turn it on, keep it on, carry it with you always and use the damn thing; it is much cheaper than a fixed line and far more useful.

I think I will stay at home. I have just learned about the NSW Police Next of Kin Registry where older single seniors can register their next of kin with the police. They receive a key ring and a sticker to put on their fridge or phone so that police know who to contact if any emergency occurs. You can get a form here

Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!

She should have had the equivalent to a 'careline' button, which can be carried or worn...the press of a button calls for help.
Anyway the cost of these places far outweighs the benefits, and, you can have the careline system fitted in yer own home anyway....

Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!

I like my own space and obviously I hope to stay in my own home for as long as possible. When I am no longer competent to be on my own, I would hope to check into a pleasant care home. I would want to take my computer/TV and be able to still have my own space apart from the world. Except for meal times I wouldn't wish to be sociable. The idea of activities put on for the elderly like bingo, sing songs etc would be my idea of hell!

Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!

I think retirement villages and care homes are different

My idea of a retirement village, is you have your own home within a community, possibly with a communal lounge IF you feel like some company. Providing you are not moving miles away from friends previously made, can be a good idea, yes you can stay put and pay for maintenance, but not everyone feels like dealing with that headache.

Care homes and provided activities, may be more attractive if you are no longer able to do much else, but even then you can generally go to your room, and opt out.

Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!

I want my own home as long as possible. I am retiring soon and moving to Norfolk and will stay there as long as my health is good. When I can't cope any more I will then consider a care home. I like my own garden and these retirement villages don't usually have that and certainly wouldn't cater for my 2 bouncy dogs. Horses for courses as they say.

Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!

There is a retirement village near to where I live and the bungalows are beautiful and the area is very well kept. There is a person onsite who oversees everything and they all seem to look out for another. They do organise social events but it isn't compulsory to go. Whenever I've been visiting there, I've met more pleasant people ready for conversation than I've met in the road I live on for the past 20 years! If I had to rely on my neighbours, I'd be a pile of bones and dust by the time anyone thought 'hmmm, haven't seen her for a while' If I could sell my house, I'd move there like a shot.

Re: Home alone or retirement village Joys!

Well I like my own space where I am able to do exactly what I want.
But if I could find a place like my MIL had I would like that, she had a little 2 roomed flat with a small kitchen, she had all the come and go she wanted, as long as she let someone know where she was going.
It was sheltered accommodation, with a warden, who came at the push of a button, her meals were cooked and her laundry was done if she wanted it, or she could use the laundry and main kitchen if she liked.
There was a function room where they played bingo or had a sing a long, but she could opt out of that, nothing was forced on her, except telling someone where you were going.
I rather liked it myself.
In fact if anything happened to my beloved wife I would definitely do that, but be very careful what I was picking, and hope they would give me a trial run.