'Retirement villages' could point the way forward for Dublin's aging population
Dublin must catch up with the rest of the world by providing housing that actually fits the needs of its aging population.
That’s according to Fianna Fail Councillor Deirdre Heney who is calling for the development of ‘retirement villages’ as an alternative to nursing homes. She cited the recent opening of a purpose-built senior living community in County Laois as an example that Dublin should be following.
With Ireland’s over-65 population predicted to overtake under-18s within the next 10 years, a radical shift in thinking is needed around aging and living independently. These statistics have influenced the development of The Heritage Village for over 55s at Killenard, which Cllr Heney said could act as a blueprint for alleviating the housing crisis in Dublin city.
“I see this as really important because society is missing out on opportunities for older people and not so old people. There are older people living in very large houses that they can’t afford to keep warm or keep up with maintenance,” she said.
“It's a huge drain on their resources. We used to have a thing called the Financial Contribution Scheme whereby you could sell your house and pay the city council to become a tenant if you were 60 plus, but that's gone now.”
Cllr Heney agrees that Dublin suffers from a lack of housing and that there is a need to ramp up construction on new homes. However, she also cited the significant number of people entering their twilight years who would be open to considering downsizing, which could then unlock badly needed three and four-bedroom homes for growing families.
The Heritage Village in Laois welcomed its first residents earlier this month as 47 units have already been completed. Ultimately, this retirement village will comprise 160 homes, as well as a community hub.
This community hub is central to the appeal of this model of living for older people as it has a gym, cafe, restaurant, cinema, and library. There’s also medical facilities nearby that further serve the needs of seniors and retired people.
“It’s a community within itself where they don't need as much transport to travel. I've done research over the years and I'm trying to get Dublin City Council to agree to a new zoning in their development plan,” Cllr Heney explained.
The Heritage Village is not an anomaly to Laois, as similar housing projects for older people have seen incredible success in countries like Australia and New Zealand. These retirement communities have offered older people increased life satisfaction and provide those living in the villages with ample opportunities for active and fulfilling social lives.
With elderly people so often socially isolated , the fact that they’re surrounded by peers at a similar stage in life makes these communities highly desirable. “Older people don’t want to go to a nursing home, yet they're living in a house that's too big and it's draining the resources and when they're over 60, they start worrying,” Cllr Heney said.
“Whereas if you're living in the comfort of a space where you can have a GP, a medical centre, a pharmacy; You're much more relaxed and you can live comfortably much longer in your own home into your 70s and 80s.”
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