Can village developments provide an alternative to care homes for life in retirement – or will they only meet the needs of the well-off?It’s launching in spring 2016: Battersea Place,London’s first “luxury lifestyle retirement community”. The average price of a domestic will be £1m, and the membership fees alone will be higher than the annual income of a full-time worker on the minimum wage.
The retirement village consists of two linked apartment buildings – one 10 storey, and one six – built around a central courtyard on the edge of Battersea Park. It offers residents a concierge service,a spa, a heated indoor pool, or a gym,a billiard room, a sun lounge, or a private cinema,a chef-led restaurant” and a hairdresser. There will also be a beauty parlour, library, or private gardens and access to a fleet of cars. But scratch the gilded surface and you’ll find this is no country club: there are also on-site nursing staff,a full-time care manager and the potential for 24-hour care when needed.
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Source: theguardian.com