We are living longer and in good health, giving us an extended and active retirement. Because of this, we are considering a wide range of ways to live as we get older.

As recently as 30 years ago, there were a limited number of options to those who were looking to retire. This would include staying in the house where your families had grown up or as we required more specialist care we would move into a traditional care home.

Today there are many more options available to us. There is still the option to stay in our homes in the community we know, or even downsize within the same community.

There are private retirement developments by companies such as McCarthy Stone for people over 55 where maintenance of the grounds and property is taken care of for you.

An alternative is Extra Care Housing. The ‘Extra’ is the difference from more standard housing. This can include unplanned care and emergency response in addition to planned care.

When someone is unable to look after themselves a care home can typically provide support. There are 2 types of care home:

Residential care homes provide ‘home-style’, live-in accommodation, with 24 hour-a-day supervised staffing for elderly residents, who may need extra help and support with their personal care.

Nursing homes equally provide 24-hour care and support, as above, but with added nursing care and assistance for residents who require input from and supervision by a registered nurse.

An emerging option for those who are looking to retire is a Retirement Village. These have become popular in the US and in particular Florida where there is year-round sunshine.

Find out more about retirement villages.