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Understand Your Needs
Things to Consider
Moving out of a home in which you have spent a large part of your adult life and having to downsize into a new environment is not easy. Making the right choice will no doubt impact ones overall happiness and quality of life.

It is very important that you consider your options based on your needs.
Here’s how to make the right choice
• Some people choose not to move into a retirement facility when they first downsize, however what is important is that when the time does arrive to move to a retirement facility one should move when one is still young enough to enjoy the facility and form friendships. It is recommended that an individual or a couple choose an establishment where one can upgrade to assisted living and frail care at a later date, should this be necessary
• Should the individual or couple have family it is wise to choose a retirement facility close to where the family lives
so that family visits are easy. The facility should have the option of offering regular care and assistance so the family does not need to be totally responsible. Caring for the aged can be very burdensome and stressful and often require expertise.
• Cost is a major criteria in South Africa, but fortunately this category of housing has grown substantially and there are many options both from a pricing and service perspective. Some facilities are non-profit and offer cross subsidized & below market rates.
• Besides basic costs and levies, establish
possible future costs
such as:
o assisted living, frail care,
o levy and rate increases, and
o how the facility charges – is there a flat fee for meals, laundry and medical assistance, or is each service individually billed?
• Ask the home to specify exactly which items are included and which items are not
• Ascertain whether you have the right to terminate an agreement should you wish to
• Examine the company’s financials to assess their liquidity - in cases where the home requires an upfront capital payment. A financially sound facility is paramount to sustainability and service
• In assessing a facility amenities are important.
Does the facility have amenities that are important to one such as a gym, gardens, pool, recreation centre, library, hairdresser or shop? Does it offer activities one is interested in? Are they available on site? What other offerings does the facility provide
•
Food and meal times are an important component of any facility.
It’s worth looking at the dining facilities as well as attending a meal to get a feel for the place. The ability to service dietary requirements should be discussed as well as a look at the menus the facility provide.
• Staff are critical in any retirement facility.
Find out how many staff are on each shift - a vital factor in determining the level of care that a care home can give. If one visits the facility, watch a while to see how staff relate with existing residents. Assess the culture. Find out how health problems are handled – both emergency and non-emergency
• When visiting a facility,
the existing residents can provide great insight.
Do they seem friendly? Are they happy? What is the general atmosphere like? Do they seem to be people you can relate to? Could you see yourself getting on with them and fitting in?
Life Rights
A Life Right is a contract entered into where one, as a retiree, purchase the right to live in a home in a Retirement Estate for the remainder of your life while the Estate retains the unit’s ownership. Upon death, the right reverts back to the Estate who will resell the unit.
Couples can also enter into a life right contract. In this case, the right extends to both partners and is enjoyed until the death of the last surviving partner.
Purchasing a Life Right is an investment in a lifestyle that eliminates the responsibility and hassle factor of owning a property as all maintenance is the responsibility of the facility.
Retirees who enter into a Life Right contract are protected under the Housing Development Schemes for Retired Persons Act 65 of 1988 (HDSRPA). The Act states that you must be at least 50 to enter a Life Right contract, but Retirement Estates do sometimes have their own (higher) minimum entry age.
The Life Right contract details all the rules and limitations of purchasing the Life Right, as well as what compensation your deceased estate will receive when you pass away or decide to move out of the Retirement Estate. It is crucial to fully understand all the terms and conditions laid out in the contract to ensure one is not caught out.
Worth noting is that each Estate has its own unique Life Right structure and rules. It is imperative that one investigates the details of each Estate’s Life Right structure before making any decisions. The RetirementProperty.co.za agent will be able to explain the Life Right structure in any given Estate that they are representing.
There is currently no way to finance a Life Right purchase. Each Estate applies their unique methodology and process in assessing your suitability as a purchaser of their Life Rights. This process covers capital adequacy, affordability as well as health and age. You would need to have the ability to purchase the Life Right as well as service the monthly levies for the duration of your life expectancy while still having a buffer for unexpected health expenses. In some cases they look for family or another third party to sign surety. The RetirementProperty.co.za agent will be able to advise one of this process within each Estate.
It is imperative that you also conduct a due diligence of the respective Estate in which one wants to purchase a Life Right in so that one is comfortable with their financial status and ability to run the Estate going forward and that your ‘investment’ is so to say "safe".
For many seniors who are worried about outliving their retirement savings, these lower costs are one of the big advantages of Life Rights schemes. And while levies are payable in Life Rights developments just as they are in Estates and sectional title schemes, the HDSRPA requires the developer of a Life Rights Estate to provide a transparent statement of the basis on which levies will be calculated, as well as a two-year advance estimate of what the levies will be. This really helps residents on fixed incomes to plan their finances."
The good thing about Life Rights is that the Estate has a vested interest in making sure that the development and all facilities are maintained to a high standard, because when the buyer passes away and a Life Right terminates, it reverts to the Estate and can be resold – which will obviously be much easier to do if the unit and the Estate itself are in good condition and appealing to new residents.
Independent Living, In A Retirement Estate
It is the ability to live independently and productively in the community and to live with the same freedom of choice as a non-disabled person. So it's not that one is living on one’s own but that one controls where one lives with the same range of choices as a non-disabled person.
Independent living means the ability to examine alternatives and make informed decisions and direct one's own life. This ability requires the availability of information, financial resources and peer group support systems. Independent living is a dynamic process, it can never be static. A person's physical, emotional and social environment and subsequent needs are continually changing and evolving.
Independent living describes a person that is perfectly suitable to live in a retirement village, who is capable to live independently without the assistance of nursing staff. The person would be expected to still drive, cook, shop and take care of their financial affairs. The person should still be able to socialize and organize social events.
Assisted Care
The terms Assisted Living and Midcare are generally used interchangeably. They describe a person that is starting to require a little assistance. Generally the person is no longer coping with the requirements of daily life. One may need, as an example, some assistance in either mobilizing or washing or with taking daily medication .This person could live alone with the assistance of a carer or could move into a retirement Estate where different levels of care is provided for all residents. Generally people requiring Midcare enjoy social events to be organized for them as organizing and catering would prove too cumbersome or challenging.
Frail Care
A person requiring Frail Care would require substantial assistance including 24 hour nursing attendance. One may require help with dressing and washing and toileting and may or may not be bedridden. A frail person may also be physically healthy but mentally frail, requiring constant supervision. A mentally frail person could be exhibiting signs of senile dementia (Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia or other forms of dementia) and, as such, may be confused, disoriented, agitated, restless, anxious and in this case would generally require Frail Care.
It is important to point out that each care facility has their own definition and classification for what they call frail care, so it is important to discuss the nursing requirements of a family member with the care facility before admitting them. Most care facilities, in any event, will want to assess the patient before admission in order to determine whether they are able to provide the necessary care. They may also require a Doctor’s report on the patient.
Memory Care
Memory care is a form of residential long-term care that provides intensive and specialized care for people with memory issues.
Memory care is designed to provide a safe, structured environment with set routines to lower stress for people with Alzheimer's or Dementia. Employees provide meals and help residents with personal care tasks, similar to the staff at an assisted living facility however the staff are also specially trained to deal with the unique issues that often arise as a result of Dementia or Alzheimer's. The staff check in with residents more frequently and provide extra structure and support to help them navigate the day.