Don’t call it a care home! Inside the ‘later-life community’ with a marble-clad swimming pool, luxury private cinema and wood-panelled library for wealthy ‘boomers’ to live out their days
With its marble-clad swimming pool, luxury private cinema and wood-panelled library, it is not the usual sort of old people’s home.
Even calling it an old people’s home is likely to raise the hackles among high-brow staff such as the 24-hour concierge, the cocktail barman or the wellbeing manager.
Instead they prefer to call it a ‘later-life community’ where pensioners can enjoy a retirement home that feels more like a five-star hotel, and comes with a spa, a steam room and endless other luxuries.
They don’t even like to call it a care home, although care is available – at a price.
This is the latest in retirement living, a set of apartments in Kensington and Fulham, London, designed for wealthy over-65s, the ‘boomers’ who don’t want to compromise on how they live out their days.
The marble-clad pool for residents of a new ‘later-life community’ in West London – just don’t call it a care home
Residents can put their feet up in the complex’s cinema room
With luxury fittings including this library area, the development is designed for wealthy over-65s
The smart Italian restaurant is perfect for ‘boomers’ who don’t want to compromise on how they live out their days
And for pensioners who love a night out, they can settle down for drinks with a dedicated cocktail barman
The luxury and high-tech kitchen of one of the luxury flats
In the United States, six per cent of pensioners live in ‘integrated retirement communities’, but in the UK this figure is only 0.6 per cent, and Britain also lags behind Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavian countries.
The number of people aged over 65 living in the UK is forecast to increase by 20 per cent to 12million by 2027.
At this complex run by the company Riverstone, all residents are offered a ‘wellbeing MOT’ by a team of healthcare and fitness experts who can help devise an exercise regime, assist in making GP appointments and enjoying the facilities on offer.
As well as the swimming pool, there is a gym with personal trainer, a billiards room, a private cinema with plush armchairs, and an upscale Italian restaurant.
All of this does not come cheap, with flats in the development costing £785,000 for a one-bed and £1.5million for a two-bed. There is also a £1,300 monthly service charge.
But in return for their money, residents get an opulence and level of service scarcely seen in more standard old people’s homes.
Riverstone founder Julian Mercer said: ‘We are selling a lifestyle here, differentiating ourselves from care homes. It is a better way of living for a lot of people who are maybe bereaved, living alone or lonely. They can come in here and meet new people.’
Riverstone has social areas designed to help the lonely and bereaved
The community also has extensive and mature gardens with outdoor eating areas
A calming water feature in one of the gardens of the properties
And sporty residents can rack up a game of pool with their mates
The luxuriously-designed living areas found at Riverstone
There is a dedicated organiser of museum trips, talks and presentations, and he said residents are offered programmes of activities curated by a ‘Wellbeing director’ to stimulate the mind, body and soul. He said: ‘The wonderful thing about Riverstone is that you can be involved as little or as much as you like, meaning you can continue to live independently, but you will never feel alone. It’s your choice.’
Chief executive Martin Earp added: ‘We’re seeing a distinct shift in behaviour towards retirement from the baby boomer generation from that of their parents. In many ways, they are reinventing the retirement rulebook and looking for later living solutions that enable them to stay active and independent for as long as possible.’
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