Lessons from the World's Best Retirement Communities

A recent Best Retirement Destinations summary tabulating the top 10 retirement communities in Australia for May 2016 indicates that retiring baby boomers should make a beeline for the following retirement locations ASAP!

• 8 of the 10 selected retirement communities cater to retirees looking to spend their old age near the beach and waterfront, while seven are ideal for retirees wanting to maintain an active lifestyle.

• There are three options for senior citizens wanting to retire in an arts and culture community, and six communities cater to retirees planning for an island lifestyle.

• Two golfing retirement communities are listed as possibilities for avid golfers, while those looking for a more elite retirement offering can choose between two Luxury Living Communities in which to retire.

What’s evident from a glance at these retirement communities’ lifestyle solutions, is that they all provide prospective retirees with the promise of a blend of life experiences that cater to their niche set of needs and interests, all with a touch of community-orientated living.

It should be safe to assume then that one of the first lessons to learn from some of Australia’s ‘top retirement communities’ is to be sure to include elements of novelty and exclusivity in your retirement community’s offerings . And don’t forget to add to the mix some like-minded neighbours for ongoing social interactivity.

We can also look to Healthy Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities to find out which key characteristics make them desirable retirement options

According to a 2006 article in the American Journal of Public Health, Healthy Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), which can be broadly defined as “communities where individuals either remain or move when they retire”, vary in the health benefits they have to offer retirees. This means that some of them offer greater health benefits in the long run.

The publication authors hold that additional medical or social services do not make for a healthy NORC. Rather, healthy NORCs “provide greater health benefits than regular NORCs because their physical and social environments have a positive impact on the health of retirees.”

What we can learn from NORCs then is that, to have a positive impact on senior residents, retirement communities need to:

• Accommodate and enable physically and socially active lifestyles among retirees
• Encourage senior citizens to get out and about by having amenities in close walking distance, with walking paths that are well maintained, well-lit and accessible
  
• Have adequate public transport for senior citizens to desirable locations
  
• Have local governments that encourage seniors to be involved in community governance issues
  
• Have private market sectors that cater to the needs of seniors
  
• Are positioned in communities small enough to enable “regular unplanned social interaction” between retirees and the broader community

We can guarantee that prime retirement communities are well maintained and aesthetically appealing

While many retirement villages and retirement communities sport the unique colours of the particular retirement housing chain to which they belong, ensuring uniformity and easy brand identification should never trump building appeal or property aesthetics. Reaching retirement age doesn’t eliminate one’s sense of taste or style, so retirement villages and communities need to keep with the times. Well-maintained properties and buildings are also key considerations for senior citizens wanting to make a home for their retirement years.

All the best retirement communities use commercial painting contractors for their maintenance painting needs. Download our Ultimate Checklist to find out how to choose the best painting maintenance supplier for your retirement communities’ needs.