"Choosing the village that meets your needs and expectations can help enrich your quality of life and enable you to pursue your future lifestyle aspirations."

A retirement village offers a fantastic lifestyle to those who want to live independently in their own home whilst enjoying the benefits that a retirement village can provide. People can enjoy retirement village lifestyle whether they are 55 or 90 years of age. Retirement villages are located in prime areas which maybe beside the sea, near a golf course or in the heart of the city.

The term 'Retirement Village", covers an ever increasing variety of accommodation and services for people over 55 years of age. There are many different types of retirement villages available to choose from. Villages can have an emphasis on 'lifestyle' with resort-style accommodation and facilities. Some villages can provide a full range of care options so residents can enjoy a village lifestyle for as long as they want.

Each village is unique in what is has to offer. Villages can range in size from four units to over 200. The types of accommodation offered can vary from villas or town houses to apartments, serviced apartments and studios. Most villages have a community centre and offer a range of recreation facilities.

Some of the reasons that people move into a retirement village are to;

• Enjoy the privacy of their own home
• Have independence in a supportive environment
• Acquire peace of mind from 24 hour 'on call' assistance
• Gain access to a variety of services and recreation facilities
• Remove the major worry of maintaining a home
• Eliminate the need to worry about security

Living in a retirement village you have the best of both worlds, you can enjoy the benefits of privacy and security whilst not having to worry about maintaining your home. Choosing a village which suits you can enrich your life and give you the time to pursue your interests amongst friends.

The most common phrase we hear from existing residents is "I wish I had made the decision to move sooner."

Reasons why you should choose an RVA village

RVA members have chosen to be committed to providing quality services within their village. By establishing a compulsory RVA Accreditation programme the Association seeks to demonstrate that accredited villages are responsible and committed to meeting resident's needs.

Increasingly residents within the community are demanding greater accountability and consistency in services offered by public, community, charitable and private retirement village service providers. Prospective residents can make the decision to move into an accredited village with confidence that appropriate standards have been met and are being maintained.