Seniors Gone Wild – How to Pick the Best Retirement Village
Meth labs, an illegal moonshine racket, mysterious male visitors and a power struggle over parking spots….. you might be forgiven for thinking this is the plot of a Hollywood film. However, it is the current day to day life in some of the Gold Coast’s retirement villages.
In early September this year, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported problems in an Ashmore retirement village including:
- female residents receiving “show cause” notices after having “male friends” visit their homes at night;
- confrontations between residents and body corporate committee members, leading to residents being taken to hospital and treated for stress;
- operation of an alcohol still; and
- a resident being told by the body corporate that she could not plant a herb garden.
In early October this year, there were more problems in another Southport complex with the Brisbane Times reporting that a 62 year old man was evicted after the Police allegedly found a methylamphetamine drug lab inside his home within the Seniors’ complex.
These current events highlight how important it is to make the right enquiries when considering moving into a senior’s complex or retirement village.
Entering a retirement village is a major lifestyle and financial decision. Each retirement village is unique. Individual villages can offer a range of different contract and tenure types, unit types (independent living units, assisted living units and serviced apartments) and facilities and services. The cost of entering, living in and leaving a retirement village also varies markedly.
First and foremost, a retirement village is a communal living arrangement and residents will not have the same level of control as owning their own home. When making the decision to move into a village and/ or signing contract’s it is imperative to understand:
- how a village is run;
- the lifestyle features of the village;
- what the village offers in relation to healthcare;
- the village’s decision-making process and governing body;
- the rules of the village; and
- entry fees, ongoing fees and exit fees.
Deciding where to live in your retirement years requires a lot of thought and sound professional advice, the wrong decision can be costly and stressful. Keep your peace of mind and make an appointment with an Attwood Marshall Lawyer to review any retirement village contracts before you enter into any contract.
Please ring our department manager Donna Tolley on direct telephone 07 5506 8241 or freecall 1800 621 071 or email Donna on dtolley@attwoodmarshall.com.au for further information.
