Residents rally behind the sector
Craig Bennett, President of the NSW Retirement Villages Association, today said, “To say that I am disheartened by the focus of this program is an understatement.”
“Community living is not for everyone, and to opt for a retirement village is not a financial investment choice – it is lifestyle (security, safety, less maintenance responsibility etc) – and we believe the majority of retirement village residents are happy with their choice,” he said.
He is angry the 7.30 Report used part of its Ageing Without Fear report to counter the industry’s claim about the benefits of living in a retirement communities.
“The reality is that 40% of the small sample of people who responded to the survey had been exposed to some form of psychological abuse; that is intimidation, bullying, not financial, or any other form of abuse,” Craig said.
“That sample represented 1.8% of the number of people living in retirement villages, hardly a representative picture of all villages.”
Judy Mayfield, President of the Association of Residents of Queensland Retirement Villages, said the program will achieve nothing but cause distress to residents and people living in retirement communities.
“It makes me angry and there is little thought given to the impact such stories have on older people living in a village. It is distressing and unsettling to many,” she said.
Their comments have been shared by retirement village residents across the country.
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