NHBC reports 9 out of 10 residents enjoy retirement housing

A recent report from the NHBC Foundation found that nine out of ten people living in retirement housing said that they either loved or enjoyed their experience most of the time.

The survey also found that there is high demand for more specialist retirement housing across the UK.

Commenting on the report, ExtraCare’s Development and Sales Director Mark Curran said: “We would concur with the findings of this report; demand for our ExtraCare Villages is significant especially from older people with modest or limited means seeking an alternative to traditional nursing or residential care. People are much more focused on their lifestyle aspirations, whilst ensuring that they can remain safe, well and independent in later life. Our villages are becoming sociable hubs where residents feel they are at the heart of community life.”

ExtraCare’s current development plan will see the Charity build a further 1,534 mixed-tenure retirement apartments over the next three years, providing more award-winning homes, care and lifestyle for older people in Coventry and Birmingham, as well as expanding further afield to High Wycombe, Stoke Gifford, Bedford and Solihull.

Residents will benefit from ExtraCare’s busy programme of activities and events: each ExtraCare retirement village includes a host of social, health and leisure facilities, including a greenhouse, library and IT suite, craft room and gymnasium with a fully qualified fitness instructor. Each Village centre is a social hub for residents and local older people in the wider community.

Care and support is on offer if residents need it, either when they move in, or in the future. An on-site care team is also on hand 24 hours a day in an emergency.

The Charity’s unique holistic approach was validated by Aston University in a recent three-year research project, which found that ExtraCare residents experience a 46 per cent reduction in GP visits over a twelve-month period. The Charity’s approach results in significant savings for NHS budgets – over 12 months, total NHS costs for ExtraCare residents can reduce by 38 per cent.

The NHBC Foundation reported that people considering retirement properties were generally looking for independent living which can adapt to their needs as they change in the future, in addition to a range of social activities and events.

Read the full NHBC Foundation report.

Find out more about ExtraCare’s retirement villages and schemes.