I have just finished reading an article in the Bay of Plenty Times written by reporter Juliet Rowen. She is discussing the future of retirement villages with Ms Carole Gordon a specialist in gerontology, that is, the study of the social, psychological, cognitive and biological aspects of ageing. You will see excerpts of and links to the article below .

I totally agree with her prognosis. Foremost ageing is an attitude. Who wants to be pigeon holed into a retirement village? Yes there are various activities and events both internal and external and friendships and camaraderie but these all can be had outside of these retirement villages. Then there is the imbalance of living with folk all of similar age. Obviously I haven’t experienced it, but I have witnessed and noted the lifestyle did suit some remarkably well while other internees weren’t so happy. Further, there are various forms of “ownership” of the usually semi-detached units, some involving participation in capital gain, but basically folk have only a fee based license to occupy, with a mix of redemption options, which usually favor the village owner/manager.

Shukugawa riverside park pagoda

Contrast this with what the proposed Travelers Rest “neighborhood” offers and you can see it has real advantages. Individual, separate land title, independent homes, designed for lifestyle living and privacy while having a focal point in the form of a neighborhood footbath under the central pagoda shelter available for all manner of community passive events and chit chat. The very closed nature of Travelers Rest neighborhood, promotes a safe caring community.

Ms Carole Gordon is spot on in her analysis. Prospective individual owners of neighborhoods like Travelers Rest are in control of their own destiny; they can purchase, manage and dispose of their property at will. Most importantly occupants can represent the full spectrum of homeowners, young first homebuyers, early nesters with young families as well as empty nesters, a balance where individuals can live and react together, with all the services and amenities available, in a warm and safe environment. It is integrated neighborhoods such as Travelers Rest which offer a way for the future.

As Ms Carole Gordon says "At the end of the day, they need to plan for liveable communities where people can access all the services and amenities they need so they can have happy and well lives." and Travelers Rest fits that bill.

Excerpts from the article:

Retirement homes no answer for ageing population

By Juliet Rowan

6:40 PM Monday Jun 29, 2015

Imagine Tauranga and the Western Bay with ghost suburbs of empty retirement villages. It is a bleak vision, but one which could become reality if the approach taken to dealing with our ageing population is simply to build more retirement villages, says a Bay social scientist.

Carole Gordon: Photo BOP Times

          Gordon, who specialises in gerontology and works with the region's councils on the issue of population ageing, says institutionalising older people is not the solution.

"The retirement villages will face a dying population. We will get left with empty suburbs. What will happen to those villages in the future?"

As national convener of SUPA-NZ (Seniors United to Promote Age-friendly New Zealand), she also supports the concepts of active ageing and ageing in place, and believes ageing population planning by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, the DHB and SmartGrowth is a positive step.

It's just a whole global trend ... it's not about what age you are." 

However, Ms Gordon believes there is still plenty of opportunity to address the issue of an ageing population locally, saying a lot of research has yet to be translated into policy by councils.

"At the end of the day, they need to plan for liveable communities where people can access all the services and amenities they need so they can have happy and well lives." Click to view article