What are the Different Kinds of Retirement Property

• Sheltered Housing:
  • Description: Self-contained flats with communal facilities, allowing elderly residents to live independently.
  • Features: Common amenities like social rooms or luxurious facilities such as spas; may include bungalows; managed by a warden or scheme manager for assistance.
• Retirement Villages:
  • Description: Expands on the community feel of sheltered housing, offering a mix of houses, bungalows, and apartments with private amenities.
  • Features: Varied private amenities like doctors’ surgeries and pubs; promotes a sense of community.
• Assisted Living Facilities:
  • Description: Balances independence and care, providing apartment-style living with 24-hour care staff or nurses on-site.
  • Features: Rigorous safety systems, including monitored fire alarm systems; suitable for residents needing assistance with daily tasks.
• Care Homes:
  • Description: Provides extensive, around-the-clock care in a single building, emphasizing facilities and equipment for various care services.
  • Features: Institutional feel; offers services like physical therapy and respiratory care; focuses on necessary care equipment and facilities.

There are now 705 million people on the planet who are over 65.

With this in mind, it’s unsurprising that a variety of different forms of retirement property have taken shape over the years.

Here are some of the key types of retirement properties that you can find here in the UK and some of their distinctive features.

What is sheltered housing

Sheltered housing is a form of accommodation which allows elderly residents to live independently.

It usually takes the form of self-contained flats and, unlike many conventional blocks of flats, features an array of different communal facilities for residents to enjoy.

This could be something simple like a large social room or, in more luxurious spaces, perhaps a spa or pool.

While flats are the norm for sheltered housing, there are some complexes which have bungalows available.

All sheltered housing sites will be run by a warden or scheme manager who will be on hand to help with day-to-day issues and emergencies alike.

What are retirement villages

Similar in concept to sheltered housing, retirement villages take that community feel and expand upon it. I

n terms of the properties on offer, retirement villages will usually feature a mixture of houses, bungalows and apartments, arranged with more space amongst a variety of private amenities.

These amenities can include anything from doctors’ surgeries to pubs.

What are assisted living facilities

Assisted living facilities try to strike a closer balance between independence and care, but still retain the apartment community feel of a retirement village.

In these facilities, there tends to be care staff or designated nurses who will be on site 24 hours a day, meaning that, if residents require it, help will be at hand.

In addition to this, assisted living facilities will be fitted with more rigorous safety systems, including fire alarm systems which are monitored constantly – particularly useful for residents with mobility issues.

Care homes

Given the extensive, around-the-clock care which residents require in care homes, such as physical or speech therapy and respiratory care services, these communities usually exist in a single building, and feel more institutional as a result. Care homes also tend to put more emphasis on the facilities and equipment which makes this kind of care possible. 

Aedifice Partnership is a leading consultancy and project management firm specializing in delivering high-quality projects across various sectors, including care homes, residential properties, education establishments, and commercial properties.

Our range of services includes project management, chartered building surveys, CDM and quantity surveying among others.

If you have a care home development project coming up, Aedifice Partnership can help.

We have a wealth of experience managing new care home and retirement village construction projects throughout the UK, offering invaluable advice and insights to our clients.

For more information about our services, contact us.