RETIREMENT VILLAGES: How to Find the Right Place for You
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RETIREMENT VILLAGES | COMMUNITIES OPTIONS PLUS OPPORTUNITIES A CREATIVE LIFE|LIFE CHOICE AND MORE
RETIREMENT VILLAGES are becoming more popular currently with the amount of baby boomers retiring. It is imperative to discriminate between a few terms applied to this model
Wikipedia describes a retirement residence as a multi-residence housing facility that is intended for older people. The typical pattern situation is that each person or couple in the house has an apartment-style room or suite of rooms. And extra conveniences are provided inside the building. Frequently this includes services for meals, gathering, amusement, and some manner of health or hospice care. The level of care these facilities varies extremely. Accommodation in retirement homes can be paid for on a rental basis, like an apartment, or can be bought in perpetuity on the same basis as a condominium.
For the most part, a retirement habitat differs from a nursing habitat for the most part in the degree of medical care provided. On the other hand, retirement villages and retirement communities, not like retirement homes, offer separate and autonomous homes for residents and more.
A retirement community or retirement villages, is an exceptionally broad, generic term that covers many varieties of housing for retirees and seniors. They are especially designed or geared for people who no longer work,or restricted to those over a certain age. A retirement Village differs from a retirement home that is frequently a single building or small complex where no "common areas" for socializing is present.
Many retirement villages are intended for that reason, and have distinctive services catering to the needs and desires of retirees, including wide-ranging services like clubhouses, swimming pools, arts and crafts, boating, trails, golf courses, active adult retail and on-site medical amenities.
Other facilities have no or exceptionally little common amenities. An Age-restricted community usually requires at least one household occupier to be 55 plus years of age or older (occasionally 50+ or 60+ years of age).
There are really three extensive categories of retirement communities
1. ACTIVE communities (the entire residential units, no long-term health care facilities - also known as "independent living communities"
2. ACTIVE/SUPPORTIVE communities (a combination of residential and health care facilities - also recognized as "continuing care retirement communities" - CCRC)
3. SUPPORTIVE communities (all long term health care units, similar to assisted living facilities or nursing homes)
Because more and more healthier and younger people are retiring in our time the most important focus I believe is on the active communities or independent living.
Retirement Villages are frequently built in temperate climates, and are widespread in countless countries.
Other Retirement Villages
A number of publishers have built lists of the 100 top retirement
communities or 100 best places (or towns) to retire. However, these
lists are not complete and regularly obsolete. Furthermore, many of
these lists are centered on individual Retirement Villages in their
prospective countries. And, most of these retirement villages are
geared towards high income earners (the elderly and the rich).
The
majority of countries are experiencing the same phenomena with the
elderly these days. Take for example, New Zealand with more or less
half a million people over the age of 65 in a 2001 census. I would
imagine today in 2010 there are like over a million people over the age
of 65. Insert this number to worldwide consensus and you have an
enormous sum of people in this age group. This is predominantly due to
the baby boomer period and healthy lifestyles.
The escalation in
retirement villages as an accommodation
Standard of living and care
option is unquestionably a response to this changing demographic
profile. The village component is obviously a search for an alternative
to old age homes of the past.
Community and inexpensive accommodation
within fundamentals of security rank very well together with people's
aspirations.
For example in the United Kingdom retirement
villages are becoming more and more common. According to a recent BBC
statement (Aug 2009) there are give or take a few 25,000 people across
the UK currently living within a retirement village model
Nurses,
caregivers and visiting doctors are an central ingredient of many
village operations, while community centers, bowling greens, a swimming
pool and billiard tables are a familiar recreational feature.
I
have done some extensive travel searching for a satisfactory location
for me to retire. I was concerned about expenses as I have a small
pension to live on. I was first interested in the area in the region of
Lake Chapala located 45 km southeast of Guadalajara, Mexico. Ideal
weather and great culture nevertheless since of the flood of foreigners
the cost to live there is approximately the identical as it is my own
country. I passed on this option.
I also thought of Arizona and
Florida as I was a snow bird for a few years. I passed on this
alternative because of the cost factor also.
In the end, I
decided on Colombia. I traveled to Colombia to attempt my retirement
there. I tried Bogotá, Medellin and Cali. I found that my pension went
a long way there. I treasured the country and its population,
nevertheless I had difficulty learning Spanish and this made it awkward
to get on with my every day responsibilities.
Then one day I was
chatting to man who told me about the Philippines. He mentioned the low
cost of living in the Philippines and the fact that most Filipinos
spoke English. He went on to say that the English language was on all
signs, menus and legal documents. In Colombia I had a difficult time
just opening up my cable account.
Afterwards, shortly after
meeting this man I made up my mind, sold all my possessions and trotted
off to the Philippines. At long last, I found my home where life is
unproblematic and inexpensive.
Here is a sample budget of my cost
of living in the Philippines:
Housing (rental of a luxury
three-bedroom apartment): $250 monthly
Utilities (including,
phone, Internet, and cable television): $100 montly
Maid (twice a
week): $10
Cook (twice a week): $10
Groceries: $150
Water $12 a month
I rent a new Yamaha scooter for $125 a month.
Gas is around $20 a month.
A beer is around 60 cents in the
store and $1 in the bar.
1 kilo Italian style tomatoes in the market
12 cents
1 kilo fresh water fish in the marketplace $140 1 kilo
Clothing:
$20 a month. No need to wear shoes or slacks here. Most of us wear
shorts and sandals
Entertainment (two people dining out eight
times a month at top restaurants or other entertainment): $200. I take
my girlfriend out to a place she likes and it costs me $4 for the two
of us. I take her to an expensive restaurant and she doesn't like it.
My costs for dinning out is around $30 total.
Health care
(four $30 visits to a physician per year for two people, divided by 12
months): $20
Will Irwin, author who is at this time writing his
next book 'The Coming Real Estate Boom in the Philippines' states that
one of the most inexpensive places to retire is the Philippines.
He
goes further noting that there are a few 'secret' places in the
Philippines that are developing fast with new retirement villages for
expats.
According
to Mr. Irwin one of the best places to retire in a foreign country has
to be the Philippines as it is rising quickly at this moment. This is the one of the greatest places to
retire overseas because of the low cost of living at the same time as
the surroundings are as beautifull as Boracay which has 1 million
visitors per year.
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Poll Question:
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CommentsLoading...
For some reason, I had never considered retiring in another country, especially a more exotic one. Thanks!
I've been here almost 6 years and I think it is great. The cost of living is so low compared to the west. You can struggle on your retirement income in the states and work at Walmart to help pay for you medicines or come here and see a tremendous increase in your quality of life. The medical is good in the larger cities also. I had surgery in Cebu without insurance when I first arrived. The cost was less than my deductible in the states with a good plan. You can even see a dentist without an appointment for less than $10.00 here.
Thanks everyone for all your kind comments. I live in the Philippines and call this place my home.
Philippines is always a great place to stay. I fell inlove with it the first time I've been to it.
My brother is a retired military. I am so happy i found this hub. This is a very good one. Actually he is in search of a right place to stay for his retirement. I will bookmark this one. Thank you so much. very informative.
What we have here is all about retirement villages.This article may help us in looking for good places like Philippines which is inexpensive and affordable this may suit our needs for our retirement.
one of the most addicting places that i've ever been to during my travel is the Philippines. i've been working from place to place and i am really fascinated by the view and scenery. and to add up, the food is great!! i love it!
my dad always asks me about retirement villages. and i have totally NO IDEA on what he is talking about! it's a good thing that i ran through your page. thanks dude. nice post!
Looking for a convenient retirement villages will not be so hard in the Philippines...
In my opinion, If you are looking for a place to retire and you just have a small cash amount of money it's better to choose Philippines because you would not spend alot there to make your living and possible you can have your small businness there without investing alot...hopefully this will help..
reading this article isn't a waste of time at all. and i am really surprised by the cost of living there. it is really cheap and affordable! i think i might like it there. by the way, nice set of pictures that you used there.
You should have added more pictures, nice hub anyway.
Nice hub, hopefully lots of people can drop by in site and see some cool information regarding retirement benefits that they will love and enjoy for the rest of there life.
wow! very informative! i might as well consider living in the Philippines. thanks for the info. by the way, nice pictures that you used there. very inviting..
Nice source of information, just nowadays I'm looking for place to lodge...this helps me..thanks
I hope I could find my place too in the Philippines...good Idea!
before, i don't want to go to the philippines but when i come up with this page and see all the natural resources and cheap living lifestyle, i think i might go and retire in the country..
i think the country is rich in good food and fresh fruits. and that's one thing that i am looking specially through my retirement stage.great post thank you.
i agree with you!living in the Philippines for almost 2yrs no, i can say that i found a home in here. by the way, you presented your blog good. the pictures that you used are nice. very cool..
Thank you for providing this info It helps a lot...anyway I like your template where did you get that?
I have bookmarked your blog and will return for updates on this subject. Thanks so much
i like your hub, especially those pics that you put into. i hope you can add some videos to be able to see how beautiful Philippines is..
a made is $10 twice a week? that's affordable.
Nice Hub you got here will..pretty interesting and informative too.
the place is great, try to watch TFC and you will see how wonderful the place is.
got your article! very helpul source for retirees to go with for their retirement..
my neighbor is married to a Filipina, and she cooks well. i think i need to get a Filipina wife too.
Very nice article, two thumbs up! I'm interested to live and retire in Philippines do you know where can I inquire to know
more about the accommodations and other expenses if in case I'll be going in Philippines?
I never know that such a beautiful place like this exist, a nice place to relax, unwind and invest at the same time..what a great opportunity to invest. thanks for posting this one i will surely refer this to all of my friends. :)
Very nice article, I'm interested to live and retire in Philippines do you know where can I inquire to know more about the accomodations and other expenses if incase I'll be going in Philippines?
Philippines is the best place to retire for me. I've been here for almost 4 years and I can say that people in here are so kind and hospitable and mostly I love their culture. The cost of living is very cheap compared to other countries.
Really awesome, For Old folks that are retired and pensioners Philippines is one of the good option they have to choose in spending their days inexpensively.....I like your post tnx...
I can't wait to see all of my love ones in the Philippines.=)
my wife and I spent our 40th anniversary in boracay... we will definitely visit that place again.
Really awesome, For Old folks that are retired and pensioners Philippines is one of the good option they have to choose in spending their days inexpensively.....I like your post tnx...
retiring is a phase in life that old people like me can enjoy. relaxing view, good food, good people and culture are some of the things that i want to enjoy and i found it all here in the Philippines.
Yeah I agree Philippines is one of the best place to retire, and it is also one of the most designated places to travel in Asia especially every Summer a lot of people goes to the beaches, historical places, tourist spots and a lot more. That's why lot of foreigners love this country.
The popularity of the Philippines as a travel destination with low real estate prices has given an increase on the number of travelers and vacationers who flock, especially in summer season.
The affordability of Philippine property market is irresistible. The country is the home to a fantastic tropical climate, thriving with natural attractions in its rivers, waterfalls, forests, beaches, mountain scenic spots, caves and water formations.
Philippines is one the most beautiful countries that I've ever been.Besides it's unique archipelago, Philippines is gifted to a lots of wonderful sites, minerals, very nice accomodation and harmonious people. i chose Philippines as the best place to retire because this place fits my daily life.
Is Philippines really good place to retire?
I heard lot of news about it.
Information anyone?
yes, philippines is indeed the best place to retire.
I'm thinking of traveling to philippines and check the place first before actually living there. A friend of mine who is now in the phillippines told me that there are allot of foreigners there.
I find philippines as the best place to stay. I've been here for almost 4 years and I can say that people in here are so kind and hospitable and mostly I love their culture too. The cost of living is very cheap compare to other countries. That's why i decided to retire in here and build my own family to live here.
What I know about Philippines is a tropical country.Correct me if I'm wrong. How is the climate there?Is it really hot there during summer? I am worried about the climate because I have health conditions. But I heard the cost of living there is very cheap.
Wow! I love Philippines I've been there ones when we planned for a vacation together with my wife and kids. We've been in Bohol for a week to visit my wife's relatives and we went in chocolate hills one of the tourist spots that you can see in Bohol. Maybe next summer we will be back to Philippines to explore some of it's beautiful sites..Thanks for posting!
i love boracay, we stayed there for almost two years. I just needed to come back here in TX for my daughters wedding. they have nice weather and the food is awesome. one time me and my wife went to the market and we were surprise that everything is so affordable, from then on we just started cooking our own food.
Very interesting hub. I am a traveler myself and will be retiring soon. I usually go to different places, and I want to see which country fits my lifestyle and budget since I will be receiving my pension only later on...
This is very informative.I will consider Philippines on my next trip. Thanks!
great hub, I've been to philippines and I never felt so welcome in my life ever. Yeah your right the cost of living there is very low. nice food and great people, very hospitable.
- it gets to the second
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great hub, I've been to philippines and I never felt so welcome in my life ever. Yeah your right the cost of living there is very low. nice food and great people, very hospitable. - 2 years ago
it gets to the second - Comment by
Very interesting hub. I am a traveler myself and will be retiring soon. I usually go to different places, and I want to see which country fits my lifestyle and budget since I will be receiving my pension only later on...This is very informative.I will consider Philippines on my next trip. Thanks! - 2 years ago
it gets to the second - Comment by
i love boracay, we stayed there for almost two years. I just needed to come back here in TX for my daughters wedding. they have nice weather and the food is awesome. one time me and my wife went to the market and we were surprise that everything is so affordable, from then on we just started cooking our own food. - 2 years ago
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LeanMan Level 4 Commenter 22 months ago
The Philippines is THE place to retire, I will be going there for good in about 3 years if things go according to plan.. My wife and I already own one small house there and I have enough money in the bank there already to retire, but I want to make "sure" that we will have a problem free retirement.... and I will not even be 50 when we retire there for good....