The Property Council has launched a new directory of retirement villages and land lease communities in Western Australia to give consumers a starting point for considering their housing options for later in life.
“There are currently more than 200 retirement villages and land lease communities across WA,” Property Council WA Executive Director Lino Iacomella said.
“For those about to embark on retirement planning, by entering seniors accommodation, the decision of where to live can be a complex and frustrating one.”
The directory, which is available online free of charge, has been compiled by the Property Council of Australia and TPG + Place Match with assistance from members of the Property Council WA Retirement Living Committee to ensure all information is as accurate and up to date as possible.
“The directory enables seniors to compare a range of factors including, the number of bedrooms available, the communal facilities on offer, whether the village offers aged care and whether an emergency call system is available.”
“For many, retirement although marking the end of working life, means the start of a new phase when seniors can begin to embrace a more social and active lifestyle, taking up new pass times with a reinvigorated focus on health and wellbeing,” Mr Iacomella said.
The Council recently commissioned Ansell Strategic to undertake research into the provision of home care packages within retirement villages as it keeps a close eye on the impact of industry reforms on village operators, Ben Myers, Executive Director – Retirement Living for the Property Council said.
“The ongoing changes to home care, and the recent changes to how home care packages are allocated, will have a big impact on our sector. We commissioned Ansell Strategic to conduct some research and produce a guide for retirement village operators on home care, including how to become an approved home care provider.”
“Many operators have made or are making strategic decisions to become more involved in home care delivery, as home care is an important element in enabling senior Australians to age in place in their own home,” Mr Myers said.
“With the services and facilities on offer in retirement villages, the ability to directly deliver home care will make retirement villages a more attractive option for senior Australians.”
“The WA directory is a member-driven project through the Property Council’s Western Australian Retirement Living Committee, in direct response to the lack of state-specific directories for people looking to move to retirement villages. Many other states already have open data publication directories through their state regulator,” he said.
For more information go to www.retirementliving.org.au/village-life/making-move/wa-retirement-living-directory.
