Retirement Villages in Every Irish Community

1. Rethinking Housing
Options for Senior
Citizens
Retirement Villages
in Every Irish Community
Pat O’Mahony , January 2021

2. ‘The only thing that
is constant is
change’
Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher
535 – 475 BC

3. ‘We need as much
attention paid to the last-
time buyer as the first-time
buyer.’
Baroness Valerie Howarth, UK All Party Parliamentary
Group (Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for
Innovation) HAPPI 3 Inquiry Session, 9 December
2015.

4. Ireland I grew up in very different to
today:
• People knew their neighbours.
• Families looked after their elderly relatives who usually died at
home, surrounded by family and friends.
• The home was often multi-generational.
• Someone always in the home to provide care and
companionship for the older person.
• May have had less worldly goods than they do today, but they
were rich in social capital, family & community ties.

7. Need a paradigm shift in thinking
about the ‘home’

8. Background – Global & National
• People are living longer - increasing longevity a
permanent feature of socio-economic landscape.
• Irish Life expectancy 66 in 1950.
• Life expectancy by 2.5 years since 2006 – 83.6 for
women and 79.9 for men.

9. Background – Global & National
• Proportion of population 65+
• 2016 (10%)
• 2031 (18.5%)
• 2041 (22.3%)
• 2041, the number 65+ will reach 1.4 million and the
number over 80 will grow by 400% from 128,000 (2011) to
480,000.

10. Newbridge
– Kildare
Municipal
District

11. Kildare
Municipal
Districts

12. Background – Kildare – 65+
• 2016 (5,347 – 10%),
• 2031 (9,900 – 18.5%)
• 2041 (12,000 – 22.3%)
In each of 3 Municipal Districts:
• Newbridge-Kildare
• Naas
• Clane-Maynooth

13. Key data about our elderly
• 13% 65+ don’t engage in a social
leisure activity
• 26% 65+ engage in political activities –
50% of Swedish engagement
• 4.3% 65+ participate in informal
education
• Potential for 65+ volunteering under-
exploited
• 7.1% of 50+ often feel lonely
• 1/10 men & 1/20 women 52+ do not
have a supportive relationship
• Transport challenge for significant
proportion – increases with age – only
46% of 75+ drive regularly
• At 65 women & men can expect 12.3
and 11.4 years good health
• 24% of 75+ have disability
• After 65 significant increase in
prevalence of chronic disease: 78.5%
of 75+

14. Key data about our elderly
• After 65 cognitive impairment increases
appreciably: 44 % 75+ mild cognitive
impairment
• 37% of 75+ difficulty going outside
home alone
• 36% of 55 to 74 obese, 43%
overweight & 33.5% report low levels of
physical activity
• 9% of 50+ report severe depressive
symptoms
• 14% of 70+ received homecare
services in previous 12 months
• 6.4% of 52 to 64 report moderate to
severe levels of anxiety – but anxiety
declines with age
• Life satisfaction improves with age –
86% over 75 report ‘high level
satisfaction’
• 51% over 75 feel they have control
over their lives – important to quality of
life
• 19% 50+ report an unmet need for a
community care service – resulting in
avoidable hospital and nursing home
admissions

15. Key data about our elderly
• 13% 50 to 64 & 11% 65+ report living
in homes unsuited to their needs
• 48 % 50+ report poor housing
conditions – leaks, damp, inadequate
heating, pests, etc.
• 10% of homes with someone over 65
unable to keep home adequately
warm
• 14% of 50+ have trouble accessing
essential services – transport,
banking, post …
• 33% 65+ difficulty accessing social
facilities – cinema, cultural activities
• 8.2% 65+ difficulty accessing
recreational or green areas – which
promote wellbeing
• 44% 50+ report low neighbourhood
social capital (trust, relationships &
reciprocity) – worse in urban than
rural communities
• 27% of 65 to 74 don’t feel safe in their
home and local area

16. Key data about our elderly
• Elder abuse increasing
• 67% of 75+ feel they continue to grow
as individuals
• 75+ use hospital emergency
departments heavily
• 82% 75+ report having at least one
specific health condition as compared
to 20% of 15-24 year-olds
• 75+ visit their GP more frequently (6.4
visits per year) than do 15-24 year-
olds (2.5 visits).
• 75+ have marginally less healthy diets
than younger people
• Fewer 75+ drink alcohol BUT those
that drink do so more frequently than
younger cohorts.

17. Elderly – Housing Needs &
Preferences
• Older people not planning for future
housing needs – poor awareness of
options
• Those who have down-sized and moved
nearer interests are happy with move –
provided it was their decision.
• Potential market for 100,000 ‘step-down’
homes - €25billion
• Need for a non-profit with suitable skill-set
to lead development of ‘retirement
villages’
• Most homes not age-proofed
• 21% of 65+ (living alone) & 16% of all 65+
say homes too big for needs
• Focus is on nursing homes – need to
consider housing needs of all older people
• People want to ‘age in place’ but this is
more about community than specific
house.
• Older people not necessarily opposed to
transferring to more age-appropriate
housing – once they can remain close to
people and things that matter to them

18. Elderly – Housing Needs &
Preferences
• 62% 55+ live with spouse/partner; 29%
live alone, reminder with their children
• 21% 55+ - home impacted ‘a lot’ on
quality of life; 13% said impacted
‘somewhat’
• 88% 55+ happy with current home BUT
54% said reason for remaining in home
was wanting to stay in community; 28%
say staying in touch with friends &
neighbours was reason for remaining in
current home
• Older people open to new living
arrangements – in case of declining health
or mobility, concerns for safety or loss of
spouse
• Want to retain independence and access
to things important to them
• If transferring to ‘living with care’ facility –
80% want own independent ‘unit’. Also:
safety & security staff (78%), nurse (72%),
own garden (66%), spare bedroom (63%)
• 53% saw living in independent ‘living with
care’ facility funded from pension – not
from sale of ‘home’
• 55% don’t want to live only with older
adults – reinforces their age

19. Elderly – Housing Needs &
Preferences
• Rural dwellers saw transport as the major problem: towns & cities security the
issue
• Need is for ageing in the wider community, not in isolation
• Need for age-friendly housing for all – not just for those with low incomes
• Elderly believe only alternative to family home is institutional care
• Housing developments for older people should:
• Be designed to facilitate a good quality of life – as mobility and acuity declines
• Be located near amenities
• Incorporate safe outdoor space & space for hobbies and socialising
• Accommodate pets
• Incorporate security features and assistive technology
• Facilitate easy access to external supports & services – health and care generally
Besides, they should facilitate access to lifelong learning & engagement
with local community

20. Elderly – Housing Needs &
Preferences
• Need for a choice in housing for older
people – open to all older people, not just
those who qualify for social housing or for
those who can avail of more costly private
options
• Housing for older people should take into
‘consideration the needs of older people
from a health, community and social
inclusion perspective’ and be cognisant of
the need for different price points’
• Housing for older people should be
located ‘in areas of high demand’ and in
locations close people’s current homes
• ‘National planning policy should make
sites available for local authorities and
Approved Housing Bodies to provide
more social housing with supports for
older people, and private developers to
provide affordable housing’ and this
‘needs to become an integral part of town
planning in the context of age friendly
communities’.
• Housing options for older people with
appropriate supports should be available
nationwide.

21. Lessons from Australia
• In Australia 13% 60s+ live in retirement
villages – across the Country
• AUS Villages accommodate 55+ - many
living independent lives no different to
lives they lived before moving to a village
• Moving to a village tends to be seen as a
new beginning for the next stage of life
• Each village has manager, ground staff,
and often catering and care staff
• A range of villages to chose from – big,
small, varying levels of ancillary services
– to an extent you pay for what you get
• Village homes are purchased or leased –
on exit property or lease is sold
• Also annual charges to cover cost of staff,
maintenance, security, etc. – usually
applied at time of exit from village
• Annual charges = 3% of selling price of
village home: €12,000 for property sold for
€400,000. After 10 years = €120,000

22. Lessons from Australia
• Churches & other non-profit bodies
operate villages BUT most operated
by large property corporations –
Stockland & Lendlease
• Average size of private villages – 110
units. Not for profit usually smaller
• Operation of villages governed by
legislation in all Australian states –
since ‘90s
• Yet concerns about sharp practices –
legislation amended recent years
• Ireland could learn from Australian
mistakes
• Due to retirement village many older
Australians enjoy a better quality of
life than do comparable Irish people
• Location of Retirement Village is
CRITICAL

23. Location: Signature Gardens Village

24. Home in
Signature
Gardens Village

25. Government Attitude to Retirement
Village
National Positive Ageing Strategy (2013) called for:
• ‘a paradigm shift in how all sectors and all ages view ageing and
older people’.
• The Strategy’s starting point is that older people are: ‘a vital resource
for social and economic development’ (p. 12) and one of its aims is to
facilitate older people living in ‘well maintained, affordable, safe and
secure homes which are suitable to their physical and social needs’
(p. 36).
• Strategy also lists the key actions (p. 50) critical to achieving this aim.

26. Government Attitude to Retirement
Village
Housing Options for our Ageing Population Policy Statement (2019)
said:
• There is a compelling case for examining the potential of new housing models,
including those with associated care and support models which fall between
homecare and full time nursing home care. The objective is to ensure older
people stay socially connected within their community and to provide essential
care and supports where needed, by preserving and protecting independence,
functionality, and social connectedness for as long as possible for older people
themselves and sustainable for the State ...
• It is important that people are supported and encouraged to live independently,
in a supportive environment for as long as possible and plan for this.

27. Government Attitude to Retirement
Village
Housing Options for our Ageing Population Policy Statement
(2019) also:
• Supported the development of housing and services on centrally located
sites within urban areas as research shows that good quality, well-
connected urban centres with a range and choice of housing tenures and
types actively supports ageing in place. And acknowledged that
• Older people can choose housing that is appropriate and responsive to
more complex needs, enable them to enjoy more active, healthy and
socially connected lives and to age healthily and safely within their
community. Simultaneously, we recognise that older people contribute a
wealth of skills and experiences that enhance all our communities, bringing
significant value across the generations.

28. Government Attitude to Retirement
Village
Housing Options for our Ageing Population Policy Statement
(2019) included detailed action plan for meeting the housing
needs of older people.
Though the Action Plan is time-lined and many of its elements are
highly desirable, it fails to address critical issues:
• Dedicated zoning of land - Compulsory purchase
• Need for single ‘authority’ to drive developments
• Failure to recognise best practice in other jurisdictions
• Need for legislative framework and standards
• Cost of aged-care V Quality of life

29. What Government Action is Required?
• As a priority, we require legislation, supported by fit-for-
purpose regulations, to protect the interests of all involved
in the provision of living accommodation for older people.
• Need a national code of conduct for retirement village
residents - underpinned by statute, clear procedures for
resolving conflicts and for compassionately enforcing the
outcomes of such procedures.

30. What Government Action is Required?
• Local authorities need to incorporate planning for ageing at
all levels of the planning process - county and local
development should incorporate planning for ageing in their
plans for both housing and public transport. This means
local councils must zone land at appropriate locations, in all
new developments for the establishment of retirement
complexes.
• Local authorities need to zone brownfield sites at or near
the centre of towns or suburbs for retirement complexes.

31. What Government Action is Required?
• Local Authorities need to compulsorily purchase land to
accommodate retirement complexes for both public &
private villages. Problem is compulsory purchase orders
involve some 70 pieces of legislation, some of which have
their roots in the 19th century.
• NAMA-controlled land should be audited with a view to
identifying land suitable for the construction of retirement
complexes.

32. What Government Action is Required?
• The State needs to develop & publish building and design
standards (BER standards, accessibility both from the
outside and throughout the building, assistive technology,
security and alarms, etc.) for purpose-built retirement
villages. Such purpose-built housing should be subject to
robust independent inspections before being ‘put on the
market’

33. What Government Action is Required?
• State should undertake pilot projects to test and exhibit the
retirement village model – involving collaborations between
quality developers, a pillar bank, the HSE, a quality
provider of elder-care facilities, a local authority, an
appropriately experienced design team and an expert from
the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (NDA).

34. What Government Action is Required?
• Existing schemes to assist older people to remain in their
homes for as long as possible (fuel allowance, living alone
grant, housing aid for older people, home care packages,
housing adaptation grants, Senior Alert Scheme grants,
etc.) should be extended to those who decide to live in
retirement complexes.

35. What Government Action is Required?
• State should, through the taxation system, incentivise
senior citizens to move to retirement villages – VAT,
Inheritance Tax, Income Tax.
• The State, through the pillar banks, should ensure that
bridging finance is available to those seeking to purchase a
home in a retirement village prior to the family home being
sold.

36. What Government Action is Required?
• VAT rates that currently apply to home appliances & adaptations
being ‘purchased’ by or for older people, as they are required,
should be extended to the building of such features into
purpose-built houses in retirement villages.
• State should legally require retirement village operators to put
arrangements in place for both health- and home-care - and the
availability of such services should form part of the contractual
agreement between occupiers/residents and complex operators.

37. What Government Action is Required?
Retirement complex operators should be mandated to
establish sustainable programmes to facilitate quality-
assured, intergenerational collaboration between those
residing in the complex and the local community –
• Humanitas Project in Netherlands – 6 students & 160 80+
• Volunteering generally
• TY students teaching IT to seniors Piper’s Hill College

38. What Government Action is Required?
• Consideration should be given to incentivising developer
involvement in the construction of retirement complexes, at least
in the short term, until this type of development becomes
popular.
• The State would should develop and implement an information
campaign for adults generally, but especially for those over 30,
setting out the housing and care options available or emerging
for people as they enter their retirement years.

39. What Government Action is Required?
• State should encourage/facilitate approved housing
associations (AHBs) to use their development skills and
experience to assist with the provision of elder-friendly homes
and, in doing so, to forge strong partnerships with local
authorities, institutional investors and developers, &
• Facilitate the establishment of a well-resourced representative
body representing older people, where this body would input
into the planning for and development of age-appropriate
housing.

40. What Government Action is Required?
• An additional subsection should be inserted in Section 26
of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies)
Bill 2019 giving AHBs the power to work with local
communities, either on a consultancy basis or in the role of
developer, in the establishment of retirement villages,
where individual homes are either for sale or for rent.
• The identification of sites suitable for the development of
retirement complexes should be a priority task for the LDA.

41. Other Considerations (1)
Village homes should be:
• Comfortable & easy to maintain - ideally constructed to
‘passive house’ standards
• Easily accessed – externally and internally
• Equipped and furnished to suit residents who may at some
point in their residence have mobility limitations
• Incorporate communal facilities – socialising, reading area,
art & craft, gymnasium, etc.

42. Other Considerations (2)
Villages/homes should be:
• Secure both in terms of guarding against ‘break-ins’ and
having access to alarms in the event of health or other
emergencies.
• Close to public transport, shopping, social, cultural &
recreational facilities, health-care facilities and places of
worship - location is critical

43. Other Considerations (3)
Villages/homes should be:
• Ideally mixed tenure – private & social
• Constructed to harness the full potential of assistive
technology – TeleHealth, TeleCare, Domotics, MYLO
• Run on basis that all maintenance and upgrading is done
by ‘body corporate’

44. Retirement Village Configurations
• Condominium style on green-field site
• Apartment block on brown field site
• McAuley Place model
• Newbridge could currently accommodate one of each
• No silver bullet – but can make a substantial contribution to
improving the quality of life of many older people

45. What Can Local Communities do to
Breathe Life into Retirement Village
Concept?
• Everyone has a vested interest in ensuring its community
has an appropriate proportion of its housing suited to
meeting the needs of older people - if we live long
enough, we will all be old some day
• Each community should establish a Retirement Village
Advocacy Group (RVAG) to promote the concept in their
community.
• Best to formalise RVAG – Constitution, Workplan, maybe
register as charity.

46. What Can RVAG’s do?
• Build support for Retirement Village concept and what is required to
realise it – in community, and with politicians, public servants,media,
business, etc.
• Undertake an audit of local sites that might be suited to
accommodating retirement villages
• Draft a plan for the provision of retirement villages to meet the
needs of its community - what specific retirement complexes are
needed in the community; where they might be located, the services
that each complex might provide for its residents, and the different
complex configurations that might be provided.
• Advocate with local & national government for adoption of plan.

47. Backdrop
• 3rd Age … people may no longer be in
fulltime paid employment, but can
remain healthy, fulfilled and continue to
contribute to society
• Retirement amounts to
reengagement … new interests,
learning, commitments ….. (Dad @’74
… turnips)
• CSO (Census 2016) … 10.15% (5,347)
Population ….. Over 65
• Conleth’s Park ….. 6,300
• Similarly for Municipal Districts of Naas
& Maynooth
• Newbridge alone to grow by 8,000 next
15 years
• CSO projects 65+ 17% of population
by 2030 … 9,000 – disregarding
population growth
• One model of housing (3/4 bedroom
houses) no longer sufficient
• Current Housing crisis …. Results
from commitment to single model

48. Backdrop
• Need a mix of: Apartments
(younger workers)… Student
Accommodation…. conventional
family homes…. accommodation
appropriate to older citizens –
allowing them to live securely &
comfortably near to family/friends
• Many 65+ reside in isolation…
families in dormitory towns … may
suit to move near families
• Newbridge well-connected transport
wise – road & rail
• Retirement villages across developed
world… UK, US, Australia… many with
graduated aged-care facilities available
on site (colocation)
• Many manifestations - various levels of
independence & support
• Location, location, location…
transport… shopping… churches…
pubs… restaurants… cultural activities…
• Security… Health Care… Homecare…
• Legislation (90s) all states in Australia

49. Retirement Village Living
• What is a Retirement Village?
• Considering a Retirement Village???
• What is a deferred Management Fee (DMF)?
• Arcadia Waters Village
• Your New Best Friend
• Signature Gardens – Hunter Valley