It’s never too early to start thinking about retirement and deciding where to live is a crucial part of the puzzle, says expert in retirement accommodation.
Arthur Case, Chief Executive Officer of Evergreen Retirement Holdings, and an expert in retirement accommodation, has this advice for choosing the right place to stay in later life.
When to move
Don’t wait until circumstances force you to downsize or to move out of your existing home. If you leave the decision too long, you could be left with limited options. But if you move earlier in life, you can select the retirement accommodation of your choice, and structure your finances accordingly.
Quality of life
You don’t have to compromise on quality of life in your later years. Surround yourself with dynamic, active and engaged people for a happy and healthy life in retirement. Traditional old-age homes are run on nursing-based principles. A more recent trend is for retirement accommodation based on resort-style facilities, superb amenities and a hospitality-based approach.
Healthcare
In many countries across the globe, people are living longer, and South Africa is no exception. This comes with rising healthcare costs over time. So you should consider what type of healthcare is offered in the various retirement accommodation places you’re considering.
Care facilities at Evergreen Lifestyle Village.
What happens when a partner passes away
If you’re married, you should consider what life will be like when one of you passes on. In addition to the risk of isolation, you could be left with a house that feels too large and cumbersome, with spiraling costs for things like maintenance and repairs, rates and taxes, safety and security, and gardening. Moving to a retirement village is a good way of dealing with loneliness because you’re surrounded by a community of like-minded people, and you do not have to worry about things like maintenance, gardening and security.
Financial security
The Life Right model is one way of mitigating against financial insecurity in retirement. This purchase model is gaining traction because it relieves you of the burden of care for the property because that vests with the developer, who remains the legal owner. The purchaser buys the right to occupy the property for the remainder of their lifetime.