The Department of Communities has unveiled a new website to help seniors and their families make quick and easy comparisons between the State’s many retirement village options.
The Department said the Compare Retirement Villages website provides greater security and certainty for seniors considering retirement village living as they age.
Minister for Communities and Housing, Leeanne Enoch said reforms now made it mandatory for the State’s 330 retirement village operators, who oversee more than 32,000 retirement village units, to register Village Comparison Documents for public access.
“The Department’s new website provides access to this information for seniors and their families in an accessible, easily-digestible format,” Ms Enoch said.
“It lets users compare services, facilities and location advantages such as distance to shops, hospitals and public transport options. It also provides some guidance on the ongoing price range for accommodation units and some examples of cost scenarios.”
She said this made the job of narrowing down options a lot easier and quicker for seniors and their families.
Ms Enoch said the website was not meant to provide a guide to fees and charges, which varied in complexity between different retirement village operators.
“Once you’ve narrowed down your search, that’s when you need to contact the retirement villages you are interested in to get a more accurate and comprehensive breakdown of contractual fees and charges,” she said.
“The website also emphasises the importance of seeking independent legal and financial advice before signing a contract.”
The Compare Retirement Villages website can be accessed at this PS News link.
