Thoraiya DyerSpend Precious Time With The Grandchildren – Only, Kids Aren’t Allowed.
July 9th 2008 23:40
Over-55 living. Is it really all it’s cracked up to be? Leafing through the local paper, I couldn’t help but notice the children featuring prominently in ads for Greenleaf Retirement Resort, Ashton Gardens.
Why pictures of laughing children? Most over 55’s villages have restrictions on kids.
Yet the ad clearly states, “enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as spending precious time with the grandchildren.”
Bizarre. What’s the deal?
At Greenleaf’s website ( Really Long Link ), you can do a “virtual tour” of the “resort”, which includes images like this:
(Note previously mentioned grandchild, right there in the stroller)
At the same time, the logo on the bus leaves us in no doubt as to which age group is welcome at Greenleaf:
If you check the FAQ, they are rather vague about the exact regulations:
“Can I have family and friends come and stay?
Absolutely. Just as you would where you are now.”
Just as you would where you are now? So, if you wanted the kids to stay for a year, that would be OK?
I’m guessing not, but they wouldn’t want to scare you away by putting something as ugly as that in the bold print. No doubt, you’ll find it hidden in a lengthy contract right before you sign up.
AVEO, Australia’s “leading provider of retirement lifestyles”, has a similar reassurance in the FAQ on its website ( Really Long Link ):
“Q: Am I able to have family and friends come and visit and stay with me?
A: Yes, most certainly. Most retirement villages have visitor car parking, BBQ facilities, private dining rooms, etc for you to entertain family and friends – just as you would in your own home. Please contact an Aveo Consultant about the facilities available to you and your family and friends.”
Again, they reckon it’s just the same as “in your own home.”
Ararat Hills Estate ( Really Long Link ) is a little more upfront about the situation:
“Q: Can I move into the Estate if I still have kids living with me?
A: Intentionally and by design, the development caters for residents who are 55 years of age and over.”
In other words: NO, You Idiot!
According to the NSW Department of housing, however ( Really Long Link ), to qualify for Seniors Living you must EITHER be:
“ a) over 55 years of age
b) receive a disability support pension (regardless of age), or
c) have a partner (married or de facto) aged over 55 years or receiving a disability support pension”
Furthermore:
“The child/children are considered to be part of the household if the client has shared custody of children for 3 days per week or more.”
And we know that children are not allowed to be part of the household in over 55’s communities.
So, no, the children are not allowed to stay for a year.
They’re not even allowed to stay for a consecutive week.
Which is just as well. Isn’t that why the old folks are moving to these places? They don’t want to chase brats on pink and blue bicycles out of their driveways, or have to scream at them to pipe down when Wheel of Fortune is on.
But is the noise that kids make the real reason there are restrictions? Or is it a deeper-seated dread of the next generation?
The ads might show fit, active seniors carrying children on their shoulders, but in reality, that’s not going to be the prevailing activity in a retirement village.
The Age ( Really Long Link ) in a March 2007 article points out that:
“Despite the glossy brochures showing fit couples in their late 50s enjoying a bike ride, the average age to move in to a retirement village is about 73, according to Hammond, and the average age of residents is 81 in Victoria and 79 in NSW.”
And we all know that older people feel more vulnerable when it comes to young people. In one 2004 Western Australian survery of seniors ( Really Long Link ), “half (51%) of the respondents felt either “very” or “fairly” safe going out after dark, while one fifth (20%) felt unsafe. Men were significantly more likely to feel safe in this situation, as were those aged 60 to 74 years. In addition 22% of all respondents specified they would “never go out after dark”. A significantly larger proportion of women and those aged 70 years and over indicated they “never go out after dark”.”
Is this fear justified?
According to Chief Inspector Des Hunter of the Western Australia Police ( Really Long Link ):
“It is generally accepted that although the elderly are victims of the same kinds of crime as the general population they are thankfully 'under victimised' in violent offences and theft, but are over victimised in fraud related offences.
Though recent studies of victims of crime in Australia have shown that senior citizens represent only 4 per cent of victims of crime there is continuing evidence that elderly people feel particularly vulnerable to crime and this impacts on their quality of life.”
This phobia of younger generations is subtly marketed by the retirement villages as “safety and security,” but really, what it means is We Have Big Gates With Razor Wire To Keep Out Young Hooligans.
Are the rest of us really so bad that the elderly would rather imprison themselves in an over-hyped, over-sanitized, over-55s complex than live out here in the real world?
Well, anyway, I don’t think much of Greenleaf’s advertising strategy, including the bullshit line about visitors being treated “just as you would where you are now.”
Where you are now, you might have the family up for the school holidays. You might conceivably play cricket with them on the beach (online depiction) or fly wooden airplanes with them amongst shady trees (newspaper depiction).
But in an over-55’s community, such things are discouraged. Visitors must park outside the gates and wait for the elderly resident to meet them with an electronic access tag.
If you try to get around the rules, your “friendly neighbours” often have nothing better to do than gossip about “those dreadful children,” and will dob you in to the management.
If you want to spend time with your grandchildren, and yet you love the idea of group minibus trips to the bowling club, or you seriously need medical or other care provided by such a facility, you’re better off visiting the family in THEIR house, not yours.
I hope the day never comes when I consider a “fully fenced, secure village” with “security screens on all doors and windows” ( Really Long Link ) to be more important than experiencing the wider community.
Whether I have grandchildren or not, I REALLY hope I never consider a “range of shops to choose from including Big W” to be one of Life’s Simple Pleasures.
Why pictures of laughing children? Most over 55’s villages have restrictions on kids.
Yet the ad clearly states, “enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as spending precious time with the grandchildren.”
Bizarre. What’s the deal?
At Greenleaf’s website ( Really Long Link ), you can do a “virtual tour” of the “resort”, which includes images like this:
(Note previously mentioned grandchild, right there in the stroller)
At the same time, the logo on the bus leaves us in no doubt as to which age group is welcome at Greenleaf:
“Can I have family and friends come and stay?
Absolutely. Just as you would where you are now.”
Just as you would where you are now? So, if you wanted the kids to stay for a year, that would be OK?
I’m guessing not, but they wouldn’t want to scare you away by putting something as ugly as that in the bold print. No doubt, you’ll find it hidden in a lengthy contract right before you sign up.
AVEO, Australia’s “leading provider of retirement lifestyles”, has a similar reassurance in the FAQ on its website ( Really Long Link ):
“Q: Am I able to have family and friends come and visit and stay with me?
A: Yes, most certainly. Most retirement villages have visitor car parking, BBQ facilities, private dining rooms, etc for you to entertain family and friends – just as you would in your own home. Please contact an Aveo Consultant about the facilities available to you and your family and friends.”
Again, they reckon it’s just the same as “in your own home.”
Ararat Hills Estate ( Really Long Link ) is a little more upfront about the situation:
“Q: Can I move into the Estate if I still have kids living with me?
A: Intentionally and by design, the development caters for residents who are 55 years of age and over.”
In other words: NO, You Idiot!
According to the NSW Department of housing, however ( Really Long Link ), to qualify for Seniors Living you must EITHER be:
“ a) over 55 years of age
b) receive a disability support pension (regardless of age), or
c) have a partner (married or de facto) aged over 55 years or receiving a disability support pension”
Furthermore:
“The child/children are considered to be part of the household if the client has shared custody of children for 3 days per week or more.”
And we know that children are not allowed to be part of the household in over 55’s communities.
So, no, the children are not allowed to stay for a year.
They’re not even allowed to stay for a consecutive week.
Which is just as well. Isn’t that why the old folks are moving to these places? They don’t want to chase brats on pink and blue bicycles out of their driveways, or have to scream at them to pipe down when Wheel of Fortune is on.
But is the noise that kids make the real reason there are restrictions? Or is it a deeper-seated dread of the next generation?
The ads might show fit, active seniors carrying children on their shoulders, but in reality, that’s not going to be the prevailing activity in a retirement village.
The Age ( Really Long Link ) in a March 2007 article points out that:
“Despite the glossy brochures showing fit couples in their late 50s enjoying a bike ride, the average age to move in to a retirement village is about 73, according to Hammond, and the average age of residents is 81 in Victoria and 79 in NSW.”
And we all know that older people feel more vulnerable when it comes to young people. In one 2004 Western Australian survery of seniors ( Really Long Link ), “half (51%) of the respondents felt either “very” or “fairly” safe going out after dark, while one fifth (20%) felt unsafe. Men were significantly more likely to feel safe in this situation, as were those aged 60 to 74 years. In addition 22% of all respondents specified they would “never go out after dark”. A significantly larger proportion of women and those aged 70 years and over indicated they “never go out after dark”.”
Is this fear justified?
According to Chief Inspector Des Hunter of the Western Australia Police ( Really Long Link ):
“It is generally accepted that although the elderly are victims of the same kinds of crime as the general population they are thankfully 'under victimised' in violent offences and theft, but are over victimised in fraud related offences.
Though recent studies of victims of crime in Australia have shown that senior citizens represent only 4 per cent of victims of crime there is continuing evidence that elderly people feel particularly vulnerable to crime and this impacts on their quality of life.”
This phobia of younger generations is subtly marketed by the retirement villages as “safety and security,” but really, what it means is We Have Big Gates With Razor Wire To Keep Out Young Hooligans.
Are the rest of us really so bad that the elderly would rather imprison themselves in an over-hyped, over-sanitized, over-55s complex than live out here in the real world?
Well, anyway, I don’t think much of Greenleaf’s advertising strategy, including the bullshit line about visitors being treated “just as you would where you are now.”
Where you are now, you might have the family up for the school holidays. You might conceivably play cricket with them on the beach (online depiction) or fly wooden airplanes with them amongst shady trees (newspaper depiction).
But in an over-55’s community, such things are discouraged. Visitors must park outside the gates and wait for the elderly resident to meet them with an electronic access tag.
If you try to get around the rules, your “friendly neighbours” often have nothing better to do than gossip about “those dreadful children,” and will dob you in to the management.
If you want to spend time with your grandchildren, and yet you love the idea of group minibus trips to the bowling club, or you seriously need medical or other care provided by such a facility, you’re better off visiting the family in THEIR house, not yours.
I hope the day never comes when I consider a “fully fenced, secure village” with “security screens on all doors and windows” ( Really Long Link ) to be more important than experiencing the wider community.
Whether I have grandchildren or not, I REALLY hope I never consider a “range of shops to choose from including Big W” to be one of Life’s Simple Pleasures.
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