People are living longer so making your money go further is what it’s all about in retirement – especially when it comes to property and health considerations.

Keith Nash, sales director for leading developer Sable Homes, says that while many people on the brink of retirement own their current homes, most would not be able to build that sort of equity again, or accumulate their current level of savings, even if they continued to work.

“They simply do not have time and compound interest on their side,” he says, “so they must make provision now not only for their accommodation in retirement but also for any decline in their health, and use the funds that they have available for retirement housing to also buy the most secure lifestyle they can afford.”

This means, he says, that they should specifically seek out retirement villages or communities that offer a comprehensive, tiered system of healthcare, with some provision made for this in the monthly levy. “Indeed, what they should be looking for is a guarantee that their current investment will ensure they will have continuing access as they age to the most appropriate levels of healthcare.”

For example, many retirement village residents will only need to have access to a medical professional in a day clinic to renew their prescriptions or test their blood pressure. However, if they were to slip and fall in their home, immediate emergency assistance should be available.

Then if they were recovering from an illness, chances are that their recovery would be quicker if they had home care, or at least were in a clinic close to home so that their spouse and friends could visit without difficulty.

Another tier of health support is called Mid-Care, or Assisted Living. This addresses the needs of those who need ongoing assistance with physical tasks such as bathing and getting dressed, and with managing their medication, but still wish to retain their independence and privacy.

However, such care is available on site only in a few retirement villages, while even fewer have dedicated, fully-staffed and professionally run frail care centres.

One retirement village which will have a frail care centre as well as mid-care facilities is The Retreat, currently under development by Sable Homes in the new Hazeldean node to the east of Pretoria, where great care has also been taken to ensure that buyers have full access to on-site healthcare and related services at an affordable, predictable cost for as long as they are resident. Provision has been made for an interim frail care facility until the frail care centre has been completed.

Article by: www.sablehomes.co.za