Encouraging older people to move to retirement home type villages

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 26-02-2019 09:12AM #1

I saw an article in the paper yesterday where the Govt are proposing that older people be offered tax incentives to move into retirement home type villages in order to free up family size houses for younger couples.

Personally I think it's an awful idea. Older people are part of the community, have a lot to offer and in many cases frequently have family, including grandchildren coming to stay and still need a family sized house - which they have paid for over many years.

Just wondering what others think.

Atoms for Peace · 26-02-2019 09:15AM

Once you reach thirty it should be off to the Soylent green factory with you.

kneemos · 26-02-2019 09:18AM

Sit at home in a big empty house waiting for a visit from your kids or,live in a community of your own age group with loads of friends and activities and supports.

Calhoun · 26-02-2019 09:20AM

Isn't this for council houses ? Or is this another scheme announced ? I would think they have very little powers to do this in the private world.

As for council stock, it's not an overly bad idea to review the housing assignments based on the need.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 26-02-2019 09:20AM

I’d be happy enough in a retirement villlage myself.

26-02-2019 09:20AM

As Wilfred Brimley would say, will there be a pool?;)??

Harry Palmr · 26-02-2019 09:20AM

Old people need to move to be managed for social and health reasons.

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 26-02-2019 09:21AM

kneemos wrote: »

Sit at home in a big empty house waiting for a visit from your kids or,live in a community of your own age group with loads of friends and activities and supports.

But that's not the reality for lots of elderly people. Many of them know their neighbours, are involved in community activities, have family and friends living nearby and don't want to move or be forced to through bedroom taxes etc.

Also, surely communities benefit by being composed of people of all ages?

SEPT 23 1989 · 26-02-2019 09:21AM

The elderly are not economically viable

iamwhoiam · 26-02-2019 09:22AM

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Old people need to move to be managed for social and health reasons.

I am old. I don't need managing thanks .

amcalester · 26-02-2019 09:25AM

Corey Quick Rose wrote: »

I saw an article in the paper yesterday where the Govt are proposing that older people be offered tax incentives to move into retirement home type villages in order to free up family size houses for younger couples.

Personally I think it's an awful idea. Older people are part of the community, have a lot to offer and in many cases frequently have family, including grandchildren coming to stay and still need a family sized house - which they have paid for over many years.

Just wondering what others think.

Whats wrong with giving people an option to downsize? Not all of them need family homes and no one is being forced to do anything.

This will suit some people and won't suit others.

Personally I'd be in favour of my parents downsizing and spending whatever money they pocket in the process rather than "leaving something for the kids".

gozunda · 26-02-2019 09:29AM

Large thread about this already ...

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057959412/1/#post109524375

kneemos · 26-02-2019 09:30AM

Corey Quick Rose wrote: »

But that's not the reality for lots of elderly people. Many of them know their neighbours, are involved in community activities, have family and friends living nearby and don't want to move or be forced to through bedroom taxes etc.

Also, surely communities benefit by being composed of people of all ages?

Not for everyone. Given a choice however I reackon many would jump at the chance if retirement villages were more abundant.

freshpopcorn · 26-02-2019 09:31AM

It really depends on the person and what you consider elderly.
I know a woman and she used go to France and the UK be herself well into her eighties. She organised various trips/etc for people off all ages when some people would have considered her old/elderly.
She's part of her community where she lives. She talks and mixes with people of all ages.
She's still living alone and cooks,etc. She doesn't want to be in a retirement village with just a bunch of old people.
It should of course be up to the person if they want to down side but they should never feel pressured in anyway to do so.
Then there's the time when a person may need more assistance but that's a different situation.

biko · 26-02-2019 09:39AM

The people that built this land and raised us are now told they're not needed any more and should feck off to some out of the way retirement village.
Maybe it's "progressive" but it feels like kicking them when they're down.

Drumpot · 26-02-2019 09:39AM

The important word is “offered tax incentives”. They aren’t going to be marched to these places like concentration camps, at least not while the elder demographic are such an important voting block. Might be very good for lonely older people and those who maybe thought of downsizing but didn’t get around to it for one reason or another.

But through the laws of unintended consequences, I could see societal pressure be a potential hazzard of this strategy whereby older people are nearly shamed if they don’t take this option. This could be Happen if these older communities become popular and normal part of society.

_Brian · 26-02-2019 09:41AM

My mum is 75, independent, drives her car daily and lives in a rural area.

She lives in the family home, 4 bed house she and my dad renovated in the 1990’s.

Most of the family live within 2 miles and call few times a week, her sister, also a widow lives 3 miles away and the visit each other twice a week.

Closest retirement village is 30 miles away. She would have a miserable time there, hate every minute. She’s much better where she is being visited by friends and family daily, she picks up grandchildren from school 5 days a week which as she says earns her petrol money and makes her feel useful and connected to them.

Mrs OBumble · 26-02-2019 09:49AM

Corey Quick Rose wrote: »

I saw an article in the paper yesterday where the Govt are proposing that older people be offered tax incentives to move into retirement home type villages in order to free up family size houses for younger couples.

Personally I think it's an awful idea. Older people are part of the community, have a lot to offer and in many cases frequently have family, including grandchildren coming to stay and still need a family sized house - which they have paid for over many years.

Just wondering what others think.

They need a spare bedroom for visitors. But not three spare bedrooms. Civilised retirement village homes are two-bedroom for this reason.

Also most family sized homes are two story and have the only shower upstairs. So when granny cannot manage the stairs anymore she ends up sponge-bathing for years. Far better that she moves to an elder-friendly location while she's still fully mobile and can get to know the place well.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 26-02-2019 09:51AM

One of my grandmothers who was in a very rural place and hard to look after after she got older, moved to a retirement village where she was totally independent if she wanted to be as she had her own place with kitchen etc., but could also eat in a common area etc.

It wasn’t a hospice or anything like that. She enjoyed it.

Wheeliebin30 · 26-02-2019 09:55AM

No one is been forced to do anything they don’t want to.

Why is it when ideas are put forward people get all hot and bothered thinking they don’t have a choice?

26-02-2019 09:55AM

Independence is everything to an aging person, which easily challenges the notion of bundling one into a retirement village. Dignity exacts a significant emotional cost, and those celebrating their indomitable youth might find it difficult to fathom this.

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 26-02-2019 09:57AM

kneemos wrote: »

Not for everyone. Given a choice however I reackon many would jump at the chance if retirement villages were more abundant.

Absolutely I agree that better options should be available for those who are finding it difficult or lonely in the old family home.
But this proposal seemed to be about a concerted effort to persuade older people to move out of their family home to free them up for younger families. I found that a bit disconcerting. Do we really want communities that are completely or almost devoid of older citizens?

Franz Von Peppercorn · 26-02-2019 09:58AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Independence is everything to an aging person, which easily challenges the notion of bundling one into a retirement village. Dignity exacts a significant emotional cost, and those celebrating their indomitable youth might find it difficult to fathom this.

These places are not prisons.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 26-02-2019 09:59AM

Corey Quick Rose wrote: »

Absolutely I agree that better options should be available for those who are finding it difficult or lonely in the old family home.
But this proposal seemed to be about a concerted effort to persuade older people to move out of their family home to free them up for younger families. I found that a bit disconcerting. Do we really want communities that are completely or almost devoid of older citizens?

People who don’t want to move will not move. People who do will move.

freshpopcorn · 26-02-2019 10:00AM

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

They need a spare bedroom for visitors. But not three spare bedrooms. Civilised retirement village homes are two-bedroom for this reason.

Also most family sized homes are two story and have the only shower upstairs. So when granny cannot manage the stairs anymore she ends up sponge-bathing for years. Far better that she moves to an elder-friendly location while she's still fully mobile and can get to know the place well.

What about the people in there seventies and eighties that I know that still run a farm or run a business of some sorts from home.
What about those who like to sit in there conservatory or grow stuff in the garden.
Houses can be adapted to suit your needs fairly easily.
Should these people pack up now because they may slow down in a few years?
There are of course cases when a person may have to go to residential care but it should he up to them and they shouldn't be guilted because they have to many spare bedrooms.

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 26-02-2019 10:01AM

Drumpot wrote: »

The important word is “offered tax incentives”. They aren’t going to be marched to these places like concentration camps, at least not while the elder demographic are such an important voting block. Might be very good for lonely older people and those who maybe thought of downsizing but didn’t get around to it for one reason or another.

But through the laws of unintended consequences, I could see societal pressure be a potential hazzard of this strategy whereby older people are nearly shamed if they don’t take this option. This could be Happen if these older communities become popular and normal part of society.

That's what I'm talking about. As an absolutely voluntary and no pressure option retirement villages would be great for some older people.

But if it becomes seen as a 'norm', with those who remain in their old home being viewed as selfishly hanging onto a family sized house they don't need; or if tax incentives become tax discouragements eg bedroom taxes that make it too expensive for older and still active people to stay in their own house, then I would have a serious problem with it.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 26-02-2019 10:02AM

freshpopcorn wrote: »

What about the people in there seventies and eighties that I know that still run a farm or run a business of some sorts from home.
What about those who like to sit in there conservatory or grow stuff in the garden.
Houses can be adapted to suit your needs fairly easily.
Should these people pack up now because they may slow down in a few years?
There are of course cases when a person may have to go to residential care but it should he up to them and they shouldn't be guilted because they have to many spare bedrooms.

They can stay where they are.

Jesss wept. A tax incentive is not a compulsory sentence.

Nor is it residential care - it’s just a downsizing where there is some support.

People tend to forget as well that a retirement home might bring some people closer to their families, if the families have moved to a city or town and the elderly parent is out the country.

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 26-02-2019 10:03AM

gozunda wrote: »

Large thread about this already ...

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057959412/1/#post109524375

Apologies, I did a quick scan of the first couple of pages of After Hours and didn't see a thread.

Happy for mine to be merged with the existing one.

kneemos · 26-02-2019 10:04AM

They're still part of the community. Retirement villages aren't concentration camps.

freshpopcorn · 26-02-2019 10:06AM

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

They can stay where they are.

Jesss wept. A tax incentive is not a compulsory sentence.

Nor is it residential care - it’s just a downsizing where there is some support.

Yes. I understand this.
Nobody should feel pressured/guilted into moving because they have to many bedrooms,etc.That's all I'm saying.
Anybody found trying to push a relative into this shouldn't benefit from there estate and may face some type of sentence.

c68zapdsm5i1ru · 26-02-2019 10:07AM

amcalester wrote: »

Whats wrong with giving people an option to downsize? Not all of them need family homes and no one is being forced to do anything.

This will suit some people and won't suit others.

Personally I'd be in favour of my parents downsizing and spending whatever money they pocket in the process rather than "leaving something for the kids".

It's not just about downsizing though. It's about encouraging older people to move into separate communities composed solely of other senior citizens. While that may be necessary or desirable for some who can no longer cope alone in general surely older, middle aged and younger citizens should be encourage to live in mixed communities, rather than being segregated.

We already have large sprawling estates mainly inhabited by young families, with no mix of age groups and that's not a great thing, in my view.

Encouraging older people to move to retirement home type villages

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