The rise of senior living
Elderly care is no longer what it once was. The time when more senior citizens (now, we understand, considered a pejorative term in some quarters) “retired” to a nursing home to see out their later but still healthy years is no more. Nursing homes increasingly cater only to the elderly ill. How then does one cater for the elderly well?
Nursing homes offering medicalised care are now viewed as the final stage of the pathway for those no longer able to live independently. Up until now, alternate offerings have been very limited. But new markets are opening up, promising to bridge the gap for those wanting to live independently, but who haven’t reached the stage of requiring full time care. They are proving to be very successful.
This week, HBI visited a “luxury retirement village” with locations across London that sits somewhere between the crossroads of hospitality and care. The facilities would be admired by many a top hotel. It boasts a hydrotherapy pool, a spa, a gym, a cinema, a restaurant, indoor golf, a club room, and a fully-packed schedule of social events.
Such projects targeted at the more affluent in society are receiving enthusiastic financial backing from the likes of investment bank Goldman Sachs, asset management firm Oaktree Capital, and alternative asset manager Blackstone.
Within the famous ‘blue zones’ – places where people are living longer than average – the idea that community can have a direct impact on the quality and longevity of life is nothing new, and it seems to be gaining traction across Europe.
We expect a lot more to be said about – and invested in – luxury retirement living in the coming years.
We would welcome your thoughts on this story. Email your views to Michaila Byrne or call 0207 183 3779.
