Retirement Village vs. Retirement Home: Why Should You Care?
From the outside, they might look the same and people often confuse retirement villages with retirement homes and believe they are one and the same thing. This stems from the belief that they both accommodate older people who require a high level of personal assistance and care, yet this isn’t the case at all. But in both cases, retirement is a new stage of life that usually needs a new lifestyle. Retirement villages and retirement homes are designed for different stages of life, and different people. You should care to know the differences as at one point you might need one or have a loved one who needs to be in one, for one reason or another. With people being super busy in their lives, it’s not easy to care for an aging parent or grandparent, so a village or home might be better for them.
This brief read will help you know the difference between the two and which one is more suitable for your needs.
Retirement villages
Retirement villages are more like housings in a neighborhood which offer a range of accommodation options, services, and facilities. Many people actually start living in these villages before retirement age for various reasons, which is why retirement villages give you freedom and control over your life. They vary in their facilities and many may have swimming pools, golf courses, tennis courts, and organize social events, among other advantages, while also putting the needs of the elderly in mind. When it comes to aging, it’s more important to decide how to live and not just where to live which is why many families and individuals do opt for such villages.
You can live in a village starting around 55 years of age, but the average lifespan around the world is increasing. According to a United Nations report, the average lifespan in New Zealand, for example, is 81.5 years and expected to increase by the year 2030 to 83.8 years. So you could find many young New Zealanders thinking about the future of their parents and their options as seniors, favoring Arena Living – Retirement Villages in New Zealand for their elderly loved ones to live in. A total of six vibrant lifestyle villages is run in the upper North Island. Each village makes the most of its location and you’re bound to find one to your liking. With 24-hour emergency service in each village, you can put your mind at ease that your loved one can find immediate assistance if needed, plus is feeling comfortable and happy.
Retirement home
Unlike villages, people living in retirement homes depend much more on staff for their needs. Residents will probably need daily personal assistance and are not able to live alone anymore. The homes offer such things as laundry services, assistance with personal care, meals, and of course medical assistance, which is why they may also be known as nursing homes. Residents will usually require around the clock care and supervision or monitoring. Retirement home residents will most likely share a room with another senior. Even though these facilities tend to look more institutional inside than retirement villages due to the different needs of residents, both have the best interest of caring for the elderly in mind. When you think of an elderly and their safety, a retirement home is likely the better choice over living on their own.
You might know a senior who can no longer live completely on their own. Now that you know the differences, you can make a decision. We know that isolation causes loneliness and puts seniors more at risk of health problems. They become more prone to depression and different physical ailments. Retirement villages offer them a healthy, nurturing and clean environment to live in, as do homes. Look for a residence that offers physical, emotional, and spiritual needs for an elderly person to enrich their life.
