What happens when wellbeing becomes more than a social calendar?
For years, retirement village operators have spoken about helping residents live independently for longer.
Today, that commitment is becoming much more measurable.
Levande has released the results of its 2026 Annual Resident Engagement Survey, with more than 4,000 residents across its 59 retirement villages participating. The findings paint a positive picture of resident experience, with the operator reporting:
- 88% resident satisfaction
- Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +49
- A Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) score of 84, reflecting a high level of self-reported quality of life.
What’s behind the numbers?
Across the retirement living sector, operators are investing more heavily in wellbeing, ageing-in-place strategies and care coordination.
The objective is becoming increasingly clear: help residents maintain their independence for longer while identifying changing needs before they become a crisis.
Gabbie Budai, Levande’s Head of Resident Wellbeing & Customer Experience, who joined the wellbeing panel at VILLAGE SUMMIT 2025, sends a very clear message to her team and colleagues. Wellbeing isn’t created through an activities calendar alone. It starts with relationships.
“The real impact comes from our wellbeing coordinators and State Managers. They go far beyond organising activities, they build genuine relationships with residents, take the time to understand what matters most, and recognise early when something changes,”
Gabbie said.
“This enables timely intervention and ensures residents feel supported as their needs evolve.”
It’s a philosophy resonates.
Residents rarely announce when they begin to struggle. More often, the first signs emerge through everyday interactions — a familiar face missing from an activity, changes in behaviour, or subtle shifts that are only noticed by people who know the resident well.
These are the moments where Village Managers, wellbeing coordinators and frontline teams can make a meaningful difference.
Levande has also partnered with Five Good Friends to deliver Government-funded Support at Home services within its communities, enabling residents to access personal care, allied health, domestic assistance and social support without leaving their home.
The approach reflects a broader direction emerging across the industry with other operators, such as BaptistCare, embedding wellness coordinators throughout their retirement villages.
As resident expectations continue to evolve, so too does the definition of wellbeing
It’s no longer measured solely by the number of social activities on offer. Increasingly, it is about building trusted relationships, recognising change early, coordinating support and giving residents every opportunity to continue living independently within the community they call home.
For operators, that may become one of retirement living’s most important differentiators in the years ahead.
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