While our lives have been put on hold for at least a few months, big decisions about our futures still have to be made, and this includes people making choices about the way they will live in their retirement.
Today, the Baby Boomer generation is looking to retire. They are, according to Prieshka Taylor, head of marketing, Evergreen Lifestyle Villages, “confident, optimistic, independent individuals who value innovation, self-reliance, accomplishment and change”. They’re still living active lives and showing no signs of slowing down. Many of them still work in some capacity and want to be able to downsize in stages.
The traditional retirement home model – the old-age home – doesn’t fit these requirements. Instead, the focus must be on matching the lifestyle of the modern retiree with their personal life stages. Overall, the benchmark for a retirement offering should be a place where lifestyle meets secure living in an environment that combines residential, recreational and quality healthcare facilities so that you can truly enjoy the best years of your life.
Demand for modern retirement estates
“It’s for these reasons that retirement lifestyle estate developers are providing villages with far more flexibility to meet the needs, requirements and constraints of today’s working retirees,” says Taylor.
She adds that one of the main concerns of retirees is financial security. EvergreenLifestyle estates operate on the life rights model, in terms of which residents do not own the property but rather acquire the right to live in the home for the remainder of their (and their partner’s) life.
Evergreen villages also offer top security along with an array of activities and amenities that encourage wellness, a sense of community, access to continuous healthcare and exceptional hospitality to residents.
Technology is essential
“Many of our residents are working well into their 70s, entering this phase with a need to connect with their world,” says Taylor. Up-to-date technology in retirement villages allows them to work from their retirement homes. This option works well as the household maintenance burden of staying in the family home is removed, and residents are able to live life as they wish.
Flexibility is key
The new wave of retirees is not looking to go straight from full-time work to a traditional retirement model. Modern retirement estates meet this challenge by offering residents the adaptability to downscale their accommodation according to their changing needs over time.
Whatever property they select, all residents have access to support such as personalised home-based and primary healthcare, and equipped care centres with 24-hour nursing, frail- and dementia care, offering peace of mind should the need for these facilities arise.
Access to amenities
Evergreen Lifestyle retirement villages have good locations in different regions of South Africa. Some homes are surrounded by natural wetlands; others are located in a quiet cul-de-sac overlooking majestic mountains. What they have in common are spaces that afford their residents privacy, peace and a high quality of life along with easy access to amenities and various community-centred exercise, sporting and social activities.
R1bn retirement development for Cape Town
Rabie Property Group broke ground on a R1bn retirement development in Burgundy Estate, Cape Town on 3 June. Launched in November last year with two show houses, Oasis Life Burgundy Estate is the second retirement estate in Rabie’s portfolio, the other located in Clara Anna Fontein outside Durbanville, Cape Town.
The 10ha secure estate’s paved internal streets will provide access to a combination of houses and low-rise apartment blocks in a landscape of pocket parks and tree-lined pedestrian boulevards, surrounding a R40m lifestyle centre. Here, residents will have exclusive use of a gym with heated swimming pool, restaurant, library/media room, primary healthcare suites and a multifunctional room.
The lifestyle centre will be part of the first phase of construction, which also includes 24 houses and 33 apartments, set for completion mid-2021. Buyers can choose between one and two bedrooms in either houses or apartments, which are available in various sizes. Oasis Life Burgundy Estate will eventually consist of 159 houses and 387 apartments.
“Over the last five years we have invested substantially in Burgundy Estate and it has transformed into a multi-generational and sought-after address,” says Miguel Rodrigues, director at Rabie. The Burgundy Estate lifestyle includes open spaces for running and cycling, three schools, restaurants, a mashie golf course and a convenience centre – with Checkers as anchor – currently undergoing an upgrade and expansion. The addition of another retail development on Tygerberg Valley Road, which includes Pick ’n Pay and Woolworths, a new semi-industrial office park, as well as the upgrade of this road, are all positive signs for the node, he says.
Resort-like
“Without compromising on style and contemporary architecture, we carefully design our Oasis Life homes to ensure that every layout is practical and smart. We also take great care to future proof every age-tailored retirement home by making it a safe and comfortable haven for its occupants.”
Another selling point of Oasis Life is a resort-like lifestyle with hospitality from the top shelf. With the extended experience of two hoteliers, Gary Koetser and Glyn Taylor, Oasis Life intends to deliver on this promise. Joint CEOs of the award-winning Century City Conference Centre and Hotel, the duo have many years of hotel management experience.
“To create a place where people feel welcome and comfortable is our number one priority. From the moment a resident or guest steps through our doors, they must be enveloped in an unforgettable experience,” says Koetser.
