Are you thinking about a move to a retirement village?
If you are thinking about moving into a retirement village, below are 10 top tips to consider:
- Timing is the key. You need to decide when a move is right for you. If you are not ready, you won’t feel settled, but if you leave it too long you will wish you had moved earlier.
- Age is not the best indicator. Age is simply a number. There is no set age when you should move to a retirement village.
- Share your thinking with family and/or friends. Those who know you will help you to make the decision that is right for you.
- Make the decision to move before selling your home. Once you have made a decision you can then deal with the issues concerning the physical move. By having a clear decision in your mind, the details of selling your home will not be as overwhelming.
Make a list of questions before visiting facilities. This will ensure that you receive the information that is most important to you. It is also a good idea to visit a number of different villages. - Take a friend or family member with you on village visits. This will give you another perspective from someone who is close to you.
Spend time in and around the village of your choice to get a feel for how it would be to live there. Visit the village more than once and at different times of the day. - Check the reputation of the village operator. Aged Care Queensland can provide you with information such as does the village operator have a good demonstrated history within the industry? What other villages do they operate? You can also check the operator’s certificate of registration.
- Does the village provide for your future security needs? Does the village have on-site ongoing care or a transfer arrangement with another of their sites? Are Care Packages available within the village units? Is there an emergency call service available to provide 24-hour coverage?
- Does the village offer community features? This could be physical assets such as a swimming pool or community hall or it could be opportunities and places for discussion and meeting with other residents or it could be a regular church service.
The above is by no means a comprehensive list. However, it does provide you with some food for thought when considering a move to a retirement village. Churches of Christ Care operates 13 Queensland retirement villages. For more information about retirement villages in Queensland, please visit their website www.care.cofcqld.com.au
Sphere: Related ContentAccessible and Exciting Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok may be the most exciting metropolis in South-East Asia. Its charm is accessible to anyone who is not put off by its hectic atmosphere. Bangkok demands that visitors get in and enjoy the lifestyle of South-East Asia.
Bangkok is a captivating, fascinating and dynamic city with countless places to see, terrific shopping opportunities, a diverse and exciting nightlife, and thousands of restaurants. Since traffic is usually standing still, it is better to take the Skytrain and remain above street level. Even there, expect crowded platforms full of people shoving to board the cars.
Siam’s new beginning.
Large parts of Thailand fell under Burmese rule during the eighteenth century. After the destruction of the former Thai capital, Ayutthaya, a handful of men under the leadership of General Tak Sin went in search of a new place to establish the government of the kingdom. In 1772, they settled on Thonburi, a small town on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The little town was built around an important temple. The site was well protected by the river and hastily erected land walls. Tak Sin expanded the temple complex into the royal temple of Wat Arun, in honour of the goddess Aruna. Wat Arun survives today as the landmark of Bangkok.
An inglorious end.
Tak Sin ruled the Kingdom of Siam with an iron fist for ten years. Years of war transformed him into a merciless despot. He saw himself as Buddha’s successor, and demanded to be worshipped as a god. This led to rebellion and to his execution on 6 April 1782. In accordance with time-honoured custom, he was placed in a cloth bag and beaten to death, because royal blood could not be allowed to spill on the ground.
A city of temples.
Following Tak Sin’s death, Bangkok was founded anew as a different city on the opposite bank of the river. King Rama I used the old capital of Ayutthaya as a model for the construction of his new residence. There he built the Royal Palace and the Royal Temple of Wat Phra Kaeo, named after the statue of the Emerald Buddha, which Rama commanded be brought here from Wat Arun. Today, this is Thailand’s most revered image of Buddha. The area around the Royal Palace is the historic centre of present-day Bangkok, Canals, called khlongs, used to wind through and around the new capital, and much of the city’s commerce took place directly on the water. Nearly all of the khlongs were filled in during the twentieth century to allow for the expansion of the city.
All of Bangkok’s busy streets and wide boulevards were originally canals. The first bridge over the Chao Phraya River, the Memorial Bridge, was dedicated in 1932, joining Thonburi with the constantly expanding city on the opposite bank. The last of the khlongs with their colourful floating markets can still be found in Thonburi.
The face of the Bangkok metropolitan district, known as Krung Thep Mahanakhon in the Thai language, was mostly modernized in the 1980s, when an explosion of construction of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers forever altered the cityscape. The Skytrain now weaves its way through a concrete and steel jungle, with only the occasional glimpse of a golden stupa or ornately decorated palace to remind the visitor of Bangkok’s glorious past.
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