this article on the ABC drum website is good information for anyone considering buying into a retirement village. the article points out the high cost of nursing homes and retirement villages, especially the “exit fees”.

 the author says “the way most of these things operate is as crooked as bank-owned financial planning and property spruiking. in fact, retirement villages and aged care accommodation are the progeny of the worst of both.”

 i was very shocked at the number of restrictions contained in the p.i.d. (public information document) of an anglicare retirement village i recently visited.  residents have only one right - to leave - and to face a barrage of exit fees (up to 34% of your initial "contribution"), refurbishment of your unit, full costs of sale (which you do not control) and legal or out of pocket fees the village may incur, administration, on-going fees, any gst they incur and any other cost they consider you may owe them.

as a resident, you have many rules you must obey.  if you have an independent living unit you must not plant anything (if you have a tiny garden) which may grow over 2 metres.  you must not speak to media (is this legal?), must get written permission for a friend to stay with you in your "independent" living unit, must get permission to put a picture hook on a wall, must not object to any future building or sub-division they may do, and on and on.   its a very long list of “must nots”.

anglicare?  i would say "angrycare" - that's how i felt when i read their long p.i.d.   i advise anyone contemplating entering either a lifestyle retirement village or an aged care home to read their p.i.d. document very throughly, and to get good advice from a solicitor familiar with the retirement villages act.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-10/kohler-retirement-village-rorts-the-booming-national-scandal/5584412