Our retirement villages have Village Managers who are responsible for the day to day operations of the village, the hiring and supervision of staff and contractors and are the primary contact for our residents.
A Retirement Village is a community designed specifically to cater to the needs and lifestyle of those who are over 55, or who have retired from full time employment.
‘Unit’ or ‘Independent living unit’ is the term generally used to describe your village residence.
This can be a one or two bedroom dwelling designed for active retirees who choose to live independently within the village environment.
‘Serviced apartment’ provides supported accommodation for residents who require some assistance with daily living such as cleaning, laundry and assistance with personal care. In our serviced apartments, meals are provided in a dining room setting.
‘Resident funded village’ is the term used for villages where residents purchase their unit under tenure (loan licence or loan lease) and also contribute to the costs of the village. Residents’ combined funding results in facilities and services being available that would be beyond the reach of most individuals.
Our villages provide many styles of accommodation options, services and facilities.
It is widely recognised that our village residents enjoy the many benefits that would not be available in a large family home. Some of these include:
As with any home, the selection of one of our retirement village is motivated by personal and other priorities. It is up to you to determine what value a Salvation Army retirement village has in your life.
This allows The Salvation Army to offer premises for rent to retired people with little or no assets. A tenancy agreement is signed and rent is paid like other tenants in the general community.
Your rights as a resident in a The Salvation Army retirement village are:
All of our retirement villages have village rules and regulations. It is our residents’ obligation to comply with these rules and ensure that anybody you invite onto village property also complies.
A community area is a standard feature in all our retirement villages and it may include lounge rooms and libraries. Our residents enjoy the facilities of our villages and regard them as an extension of their own personal living space.
They enjoy the convenience of a variety of facilities that may include a dining room, swimming pool and spa, bowling greens, workshop and barbecue areas, and many more!
Friends and family are welcome to stay with you in your unit for a time and may use the communal facilities while in your company. However, we would appreciate you inform the management that you are expecting house guests so staff and other residents don’t have security concerns.
The regular maintenance fee covers the operational costs of the retirement village. These costs include the upkeep of the village facilities and services, the payment of staff, statutory charges such as council and water rates arising from the common areas, security costs, insurances including workers compensation and public liability, common area contents and building insurance.
Maintenance fees are established each financial year based on the operational expenditure of the village. The budget is discussed with residents or through their representatives on the resident committee. Any increases are set annually from 1 July each financial year.
Deferred Management Fee or Departure Fee is the term used to describe those funds deducted by the operator at the time of settlement of the sale or the re-occupancy of an independent living unit or serviced apartment.
The amount of the fee is variable and calculated in accordance with a formula that will involve a percentage of your ingoing contribution, multiplied by the years of occupancy and capped at a maximum timeframe.
This fee represents the return to The Salvation Army (NSW) Property Trust for managing the village and for providing the use of communal facilities during the course of your residency in the village. This payment is deferred until the end of the occupancy to allow our residents better use of their cash flow throughout their life in the village.
Our village management will be happy to provide you with an explanation of our terms. It is essential that your family also understands the nature and terms of the fee.
The Retirement Villages Act (NSW & Qld) sets clear standards for the supply of information to residents at every stage of their contact with village life, from the earliest public advertising and disclosure of details about the village, to the supply of a clear explanation for calculating settlement deductions and refunds, as well as consultation during budget preparation.
All Salvation Army retirement villages are compliant with the current state legislations.
Most of our retirement villages have Residents' Committees that work with management to maintain the quality of village life. It is your choice whether you participate, but many of our residents bring with them a lifetime of valuable experience and may enjoy making a significant contribution to whatever facet of the village life most interests them.
We recommend that you take your time considering the options before deciding on The Salvation Army Aged Care retirement village that most appeals to you and visit frequently before making your commitment.
During your visit, talk with our Centre Management team and staff, and make sure you obtain current copies of the village newsletter to inform you of the current events and outings. Our management teams are there to assist you.
We invite you to speak with our residents; they have been through the process of choosing the right village and moving. You will find many of them will be happy to share their experience with you and will talk openly and honestly about our villages.
Disputes in our retirement villages are rare, but management is always available to work with residents to resolve differences that may arise.
A community area is a standard feature in all our villages and it may include lounge rooms and libraries. Our residents enjoy the facilities of our villages and regard them as an extension of their own personal living space.
They enjoy the convenience of a variety of facilities that may include a dining room, swimming pool and spa, bowling greens, workshop and barbecue areas, and many more!
Many of our villages offer services such as doctors, podiatrists and hairdressing salons and all offer a 24 hour emergency service.
Many of our residents enjoy the use of our village buses that are dedicated to transporting them to and from local shopping centres and day outings.
The frequency of trips is dependent on each of our villages’ requirements. It is best to check this with the village of choice and obtain a copy of their social events.
Most of our villages offer a choice of parking, ranging from common parking areas to private carports, secure undercover parking and lockable garages. All Salvation Army retirement villages provide visitor parking areas.
We recognise the value of pets and the companionship they provide, however we also recognise that domestic animals must not intrude on anyone’s quiet enjoyment of their home and village amenities.
Some of our villages may exclude pets, so please check with village management.
The Salvation Army retirement villages have consulting rooms to allow a local doctor to see the residents at the Village. The choice of a medical practitioner remains yours and you are not required to transfer to any doctor that may be utilising our consultation rooms.
For medical emergencies, call systems are provided in all units and serviced apartments, and we also offer 24 hour monitoring services.
Our retirement villages have Village Managers who are responsible for the day to day operations of the village, the hiring and supervision of staff and contractors and are the primary contact for our residents.
Many of our retirement villages are co-located with a residential aged care centre and if your care needs change you may be able to be placed into this service. Please note that we cannot guarantee anyone a place at any of our residential aged care centres.
Our residential aged care services are designed for older people who can no longer live on their own. Reasons can include illness, disability, bereavement, an emergency, the needs of their carer, family or friends, or because it is no longer possible to manage without help.
More information about the care services available at your preferred retirement village and associated residential aged care centre can be obtained through the Centre Manager or through our Client Services team on 1300 111 227.
Retirement is a period of your life that should be enjoyed to the fullest! Only you can decide when the time is right for a move to a Salvation Army Aged Care Plus retirement village, but don’t wait too long! The most frequent remark we hear from residents is “I wish I moved years ago!”
We recommend that you take your time considering the options before deciding on The Salvation Army retirement village that most appeals to you and suits your needs, and visit frequently before making your commitment.
During your visit talk with our Centre Management team and staff, make sure you obtain current copies of the village newsletter to inform you of the current events and outings. Our management teams are there to assist you.
We invite you to speak with our residents; they have been through the process of choosing the right village and moving, and you will find many of them will be happy to share their experience with you and will talk openly and honestly about our villages.
We encourage you to discuss your decision to move into a retirement village with relatives and friends. We also recommend that you seek independent legal and financial advice.
Absolutely! The Salvation Army requires a minimum of $1,000 deposit to reserve your unit or serviced apartment. If you change your mind, or your circumstances change, your deposit will be fully refunded.
We do recommend you seek legal advice from an established legal firm with experience in retirement village law. You can contact the Law Society of NSW or the Retirement Village Association to obtain a list.
‘Tenure’ is the term used to describe the different types of contractual arrangements that are offered in the industry. All forms of tenure are controlled by legislation to ensure your right to occupancy is secure.
Forms of tenure used among The Salvation Army retirement villages are Loan and Licence arrangement, Loan Lease and Residential Tenancy Agreements.
You pay a fixed, up front, interest free loan to The Salvation Army Property Trust (operator) upon entry to the village. The licence arrangement grants you the right to occupy the premises, but you do not own the premises nor do you have a legal interest in it.
The lease is for a period of 99 years which is registered on title deed held by Land and Property Information NSW that gives you added protection. You also pay a contribution.
The Salvation Army Aged Care acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and work and pay our respect to Elders past, present and future.
We value and include people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and intersex status. We are committed to providing programs that are fully inclusive.
