The Next Journey
The other day I received a call from a friend of mine, who asked if we could catch up for coffee. She needed some advice about living options for her parents. Her main question for me was what is the difference between retirement and assisted living, and what would be the best options for her parents. She said that staying in the family home was no longer viable, a familiar story!irement living has become increasingly popular in Australia. More and more retirees are opting to downsize, loving the flexibility that it offers with many opting to join the grey nomads travelling around Australia. If you are still able to live independently but are seeking life enriching experiences but with the added benefit of security and a hassle-free lifestyle, retirement living could be a great option. On the other hand, I explained to her that if your parents are needing help with medication and general support with care needs then assisted living is definitely the best and possibly only option available. For assisted living there are a few hurdles that need to be crossed, namely an ACAT assessment and a financial plan. The ideal setup, which for example MiCare offers in Brisbane, is dual options on the same site. This village offers independent living with recreational and social activities, and a large aged care facility with six homes offering ageing in place care, essentially transitional care. If at some point one of the partners needs to move into the aged care facility, it means the other partner can have easy visiting access.
Today there are so many options available for families to move from community living into retirement or assisted care. Take your pick!!
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