The statistics on retirement housing is enough to turn anyone’s hair grey, with a shortage of 160,000 units predicted by 2030. Not only do more ‘age appropriate’ units need to be built, but perceptions need to be rebuilt. A generation of baby boomers are reinventing retirement, and would prefer the ambiance of an artisan café to a dreary communal lounge.
The latest edition of Show House meets the pioneers of retirement housing providing a true silver service. We enter the twilight zone to bring you the highlights.
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“We find residents telling us that their families visit them more now because they know their grandparent is happier here and less stressed than they were when they were trying to manage a bigger house,” – sales and marketing director Elaine Stratford
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Nearly a quarter of the UK population are currently aged over 60 and by 2039 one in 12 people will be aged 80 or over, according to a Knight Frank report – and yet just 3% of new build homes in the pipeline are designated ‘elderly’ or ‘sheltered’ housing, despite an increasing demand to downsize into specialist accommodation.
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Unlike a mainstream block of flats with a front door and keypad, a core element of retirement developments is the community living.
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Retirement living can span a wide age range – a huge and growing demographic, but one made up of people with vastly different lifestyles and needs.
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“The mainstream volume housebuilders are not currently working in the retirement sector. But we are seeing independent developers creating bigger schemes with a wider range of services – be it coffee shops, food outlets, gyms, or swimming pools, while some are partnering with care organisations to support this important area for residents’ health,” – Keith Shields
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“I refer to our developments as halls of residence for life’s postgraduates. It’s just like going back to your college years; it’s really all about what you make of it.” – Spencer McCarthy, chairman of Churchill Retirement Living
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“We don’t want pelmets and big floral curtains, we want it to look modern and aspirational because that’s what our customers like.” – Howard Nankivell, housing operations director of Anchor
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