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Deciding on the Best Retirement Options

Posted on : Jun 27, 2022

Deciding on the Best Retirement Options
 
How do you know what to look for and then compare between villages before making the ‘do I, don’t I’ decision? We list a few ‘insider’ suggestions from those in the know.
 
New Zealand is fortunate to have some great villages and care homes. The results from more than 6000 reviews indicate 96% of all reviewers rate the facilities they live or visit as ‘Good, Very Good, or Excellent’ and 87% rate them ‘Very Good or Excellent’. Therefore the reviews and hindsight offered by a current resident can be the difference between choosing a good place and a great place. Whether you’re considering downsizing and moving into a lifestyle village in your 60’s, considering a retirement village in your 70’s / 80’s or looking at care options in your 80’s / 90’s, it helps to ask the right questions. 
 
Here are some extra tips;
 
• Make a list of 3-4 facilities to visit.
 
• Prioritise what’s most important to you / your family member. Write down any questions that are important to you/them and make sure you ask them at each place you visit, to compare. Having a checklist is a great idea - Click here for the Aged Care Checklist and Click here for the Retirement Village Checklist.
 
• When visiting, it’s a good idea to take a friend or relative with you for a second opinion.
 
• Visit at an Open Day or make an appointment for a tour.
 
• If you’re looking at independent living in a village, ask for a copy of their Key Terms Summary (KTS). If they don’t have one, then check or ask if they are a registered retirement village and a member of the Retirement Villages Association (RVA). All members of the RVA are required to have a KTS from April 2020 as part of their membership.
 
• Make a note on your interaction with the manager or senior staff member. A manager can be the difference between a good or great place.
 
• Go back again another day, but do not make an appointment. This is your chance to get a better ‘feel' for the place - without the sales or facility manager.
 
• While you’re there, have a chat with other residents or visitors? Ask them what they like about the place and if there’s anything they don’t like or would change. You can also check on www.agedadvisor.nz for other comments from residents.
 
• Take your time. Even if the need, say for a care bed, is urgent - take the time to make a considered choice. It’s usually a lot easier to take more time making the decision than it is to have to change it after you’ve moved in.