Where Will I Live?

There is a wide range of accommodation options for people over 50. In many instances, people moving into some of these are planning a significant change of lifestyle. Some of the options are – caravan parks, relocatable home villages, retirement villages, self care accommodation for over 55s, low care and hostel type accommodation, nursing home and high level care facilities.

First and foremost however, many people choose to remain in their own home indefinitely. There is a range of assistance for those who choose that option and who may also become disabled or ill, but wish to stay at home and have carer services brought to them. The assistance is available for the aged, through Aged Care Assessment Teams which are found in many of the major public hospitals. It includes Community Aged Care Packages (CACP), Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) and Home and Community Care (HACC).

In some States management of permanent residents in caravan parks and relocatable home parks are regulated by law. In all States and Territories there are laws which regulate Retirement Village administration and deal with aspects such as:

  • Pre-contract information to intending buyers
  • What should be contained in contracts
  • How charges and fees for services may be worked out and what input will come from the residents
  • What issues the residents can have a say in, such as maintenance, common facilities and ongoing development of the village
  • How disagreements can be managed and settled

When entering a hostel or nursing home it is most likely that it will be receiving Commonwealth funding. If it is, the accommodation will be regulated under the Aged Care Act (Commonwealth). If so there will be a number of requirements.

There is also specially designed accommodation for people over 55 in New South Wales which is permitted to be built in zones not normally allowing medium density development. This is building development which conforms to the social policy of locating people of retirement and late age, not requiring special care to live in the area in which they already have their own family or social networks and support.

Posted in Articles and tagged .