You must have heard the term ” retirement village” from here and there. To your knowledge, yes, they exist! An example of this is retirement villages in Christchurch.
But if you have not seen them, you may have a different perception of what they exactly are, which might be far off from reality. Some of you might be confusing it with a care home, which is wrong.
We have written this blog for your service to give you the right information and wash away your doubts. You should know what retirement villages are and what their purpose is.
So let’s dig in!
What are retirement villages?
People around us sometimes use the terms ” retirement villages” and “home care” interchangeably. They have a general notion that both are the same things that are wrong by all their means.
In the literal sense, villages that offer care for older people who need care and get separated from their offsprings by the time. These are built specifically for the older people to spend a life of their own, pampered with care and affection, when they enter later stages of their life.
Whereas home care is a building, a single residential home which provides care to the old people
You might have seen a care house. A retirement village is a bigger picture of the home care you are looking at right now.
But not only do they have a difference in construction, but they have a different vibe and experiences to them as well.
Pros of retirement villages:
Discussed below are plus points of retirement villages.
1) Your elders get their personal space:
The personal space is a contrasting advantage of a retirement village with home care. Villages are larger, and home care centres are small enough so your loved one might feel stifled at times.
Retirement villages are just the cure for your elders who love to spend time with themselves. Personal space is just what retirement villages provide.
2) Independence is the priority:
What independence do we enjoy in our homes? Have you ever been thankful for it? You might be if you get to see those harsh slum areas or low-rated home care houses for once.
Retirement villages are built to make an elder individual feel more confident and independent. All you need to do is to pay for their living, and in exchange, they get a life of their own choice
3) Care:
Other things apart, these villages are built mainly to take care of our community’s older adults. These Villages are meant to take care of their body and mental health.
Cons of the retirement village:
Besides, the pros discussed earlier are some pitfalls of living in a retirement village which you can’t possibly ignore.
Mentioned below are some major pitfalls that are to be kept in mind while going to a retirement village:
1) Expensive:
These extravagant villages can be costly to make them unaffordable at times. It is just like paying for a whole house, as every individual gets to have an equitable space to live in.
And besides that, you need to pay for groceries and other services you are provided with.
If you have lived in a hostel while studying or abroad, you can easily tell how expensive it is to even pay for a room. Additional charges come in when you need to pay for feed lay dry, cleanings etc
2) Feeling of isolation:
Living in a big place, far off from your children, can make you feel lonely at times. The feeling of loneliness and is lol at I on kick in, especially when a special occasion comes around.
Final thought:
Before keeping your elders in retirement villages, you need to take extra care about searching for what’s good, what’s not, and what to prefer? A retirement village or a care home? If you want the happiness of your elders, keep these key points in mind.