What are older adults seeking? Factors encouraging and discouraging Retirement Village Living

Aims: (1) To identify factors that older adults findencouraging or discouraging about the prospect ofrelocation to a retirement village; and (2) to identifyfeatures or facilities often associated with retirementcommunities that are most appealing to prospectiveresidents.Method: Randomly selected community residents(n = 517), aged 55–94 years, from the Australian CapitalTerritory completed postal surveys to identify thecharacteristics associated with retirement villages thatinfluence relocation decisions.Results: The provision of outdoor living areas, support inmaintaining independence, assisted living facilities andaccessibility to medical facilities were identified as factorsthat would encourage relocation. Luxury services (e.g.heated swimming pools) were indicated as least likely toencourage relocation. Negative perceptions most influentialin discouraging relocation reflected a fear of losingindependence and privacy.Conclusions: Through identifying the expectations of pro-spective residents, retirement village providers may bettertailor facilities to the needs of their target demographic