One of the toughest times in anyone’s life is going on his/her senior years. This is the time when you have to decide whether staying at home with your family or living in a retirement apartment is the most practical decision to make. There are many retirement apartments in Melbourne to stay, and choosing where to stay can make or break the fulfilment and satisfaction of your decision living alone.

To help you get started, below are a few of the things you need to look at when moving to a retirement apartment in Melbourne:

Complete facilities and amenities

Make sure that before you move in, you already completed your ocular inspection and checked on the availability of any or all of the following:

  • Kitchen: If you love to cook, make sure that your apartment has a kitchen where you can pursue and continue your passion for cooking. It will help you a lot in adjusting to your new home
  • Laundry area: Make sure that there is an available laundry area where you can wash your clothes or have someone wash clothes for you
  • Quality fixtures and carpets: Ensure high quality of furniture, appliances, and carpets
  • Balcony: Having a balcony is good as it will not make you feel caged
  • Parking: Especially if you are planning to bring your most loved car with you, a parking space is a must

 

Safety and security

As a senior, you must take care of your safety and security. This you can check while performing your ocular inspection and by asking directly to the person assisting you about your planned transfer. You must take this information seriously and ensure that you are fully aware of the safety and security of the facility. Some of the things you need to know under this criterion are:

  • 24-hour health care provider: Make sure that someone will come to the rescue in case of emergency. Sure, you do not want anything unexpected to happen but needless to say, having someone to call in case of health issues in the middle of the night is important for seniors
  • Fire safety: Make sure that there are enough fire extinguishers and working sprinklers in case of fire
  • Highly guarded facilities: Check if the facility is well guarded. The moment you reach the apartment’s gate, check how strict the guard is on allowing people to get in. Observe if there are enough CCTVs around the area, hallways, gates and the like
  • It is also best if you consider an apartment that is near a police station, a fire station and the like

Comfort and Convenience

As a senior, living in a comfortable and convenient facility is imperative. Some of the things you have to look into are:

  • Wheelchair friendliness of the facility: Are there enough ramps for wheelchairs to pass by. Whether you are in a wheelchair or not as of yet, this must be considered
  • Air-conditioned rooms: Does the room have an air conditioner or heater?
  • A hot and cold bath
  • Nearby establishment: Choose an apartment that is near different establishments like shopping malls, wet markets, restaurants, and the like. You would still want to live a normal life in your senior years, only that you want to avoid long travel time

OCAV have multiple retirement apartments in Melbourne that you can visit before you reach your senior years. Have a tour of their apartments and get a feel of what life would be like there.