There’s No Place Like Home

There’s no place like home

There’s no place like home, Dorothy reminded us in The Wizard of Oz… but what and where do we call home? And is it changing?

Should we be reframing the way we think about our homes? In particular, should we be seriously reconsidering where we live – and in what kind of ‘home’ – as we move into our later decades?

It’s a complicated issue but it is this and similar questions that the Government’s principal review and advisory body on policy and regulation, The Productivity Commission, has been investigating in its most recent survey and review, Housing Decisions of Older Australians, published on 1 December 2015.

When baby boomers and other older people are in the media spotlight, it is commonly to declare that they’re refusing to ‘downsize’ their homes. As the story goes, they hog the best family-sized real estate in the inner ring suburbs of our bigger cities, keeping it out of reach of young families who need the space in reasonable proximity to work.

And the media is more or less right about the fact of this. What they don’t discuss enough, however, is the bigger context. Why is it so? Could it change? How can this housing situation be improved? What would it take?

The bigger picture

It’s precisely this bigger context that is the subject of the Productivity Commission report released on 1 December 2015.

Boiling it down to a few salient points, the Productivity Commission found that, one: a majority of older people want to stay living in their own homes and have whatever assistance they may need, delivered to them at home. (Who knew?)

Two: Increasing numbers of older people would consider selling the family home and moving somewhere that is more suited to their later life needs, if only there were more housing choices available to them. (Yup.)

Three: a key barrier to creating more of those suitable, affordable housing options is the red tape and inconsistencies within state and territory government land planning regimes. (Frustratingly true and they know it!)

Four: Another key barrier is current taxation and financial policies that frankly don’t make it terribly financially sensible or attractive for older people to move. (Der!)

There are other important considerations in this report too (critically, that 15 per cent of older people are not home owners and are at much increased risk of poverty and homelessness); as well as useful observations (people live in denial about their possible future needs and are reluctant to ‘plan sensibly’ for their final years) made in this report; again, none of them new, and including the old (politically risky) chestnut of improving

The way it is

So the lay of the land, according to the Productivity Commission, is this:

Many older Australians, especially the less wealthy, continue to save well into old age, increasing net wealth as they face increased health and aged care costs.

Productivity Commissioner, Karen Chester said that, when faced with lower incomes, “older Australians are more likely to cut expenditure than draw down on their wealth, a surprising tale of precautionary saving, she explained.

“Most notably this includes not accessing the wealth embedded in the family home,” she said.
“This is despite the fact that most older home owners could actually achieve a modest retirement living standard over the remainder of their lives by drawing on their home equity,” said Commissioner Chester.
Changing expectations

What the latest Productivity Commission initiated survey and analysis of older Australians housing preferences shows is that older Australians have a strong preference to ‘age in place’ and to access ‘in-home aged care services’ if they need them.  In a nice confluence of interests, this works very well for the government too.

“Since home care is considerably cheaper than residential aged care, it is not only what most people want but also potentially more fiscally sustainable for Government,’ said Commissioner Karen Chester.

‘We are seeing that residential aged care is increasingly becoming an end-of-life option, with the average age of admission increasing,’ she said.

She emphasised that, while reforms in aged care have supported these trends, further reform is still needed to deliver better consumer choice by encouraging competition and innovation by residential aged care providers,”

Gaps in housing supply 

Research also shows that an increasing proportion of older Australians are looking to move into homes that are more suitable to their needs. These may be either in the private market or in age specific accommodation such as retirement villages.

In fact, fifteen per cent of older Australians evidently expect to downsize to a more suitable dwelling or age-specific housing. State and local planning systems remain the most significant barrier to the supply of innovative and affordable housing options.

While most older Australians are home owners, older renters are a significant and vulnerable minority. They are more likely to be experiencing housing stress and have insecure tenure. The support available through social housing and Commonwealth Rent Assistance is inadequate.

Commissioner Chester said that this highlights “the imperative of further and comprehensive focus on retirement income policy and housing affordability for low income households, reviews which would have benefits for older Australians, as well as the broader community.”

Read Keryn Curtis’ opinion piece here about why she wants to downsize her home.

Popular Articles

View All Articles
Article Img
What makes a great retirement village manager?

As anyone who lives in a retirement village will tell you, the village manager is a central figure who is critical to the success of the village and the happiness and wellbeing of village residents. But there’s no doubt the village manager plays an essential role. So, what is the role of a retirement village manager?

Article Img
Retirement villages without exit fees? They’re happening!

Retirement villages without exit fees? They’re happening! Now, some of Australia’s largest retirement village operators are looking at new ways to pay for retirement villages that don’t include exit fees – indeed, there are calls for some exit fees to be banned.

Article Img
What sort of profits do retirement village owners make?

The number of Australians over the age of 75 is expected to increase by 70% over the next six years. The number of Australians over the age of 80 is expected to triple to more than 3.5 million over the next 40 years. As the number of older people in Australia surges, so too does demand for age-appropriate housing – such as retirement villages, which offer an affordable lifestyle, community, and ongoing health and wellness support.

Article Img
73% of Australians willing to sacrifice inheritance for aged care

Nearly three-quarters of all Australians are willing to sacrifice their own inheritance so their parents and grandparents can enjoy the retirement they deserve, according to a new report by B2B aged care service CompliSpace.

Article Img
Volunteers are the backbone of the aged care sector, and more are needed

Tens of thousands of people, of all ages, such as 90-year-old Lily Burns and 20-year-old Charlise Hannagan, volunteer in aged care homes. The Change Makers is the theme for this year’s National Volunteer Week, 15 to 21st May, which celebrates the vital work of volunteers.

Article Img
What is the Future of Rental Retirement Villages?

Across Australia there are approximately 300 rental retirement villages – but few more are likely to be built, which is an unfortunate situation for older Australians. Rental retirement villages operate much like normal rentals, but they offer older Australian with limited financial means the opportunity of housing security, health and lifestyle support, and a welcoming and safe community.

Article Img
This is the food that you can get in residential aged care

Uniting NSW.ACT is aware of the criticism that is often levelled at the food served in residential aged care homes. The Not For Profit is passionate about the food served to residents and determined that as well meeting residents’ nutrition needs, their food looks and tastes delicious and as well as catering to their individual desires as much as possible.

Article Img
Unique test can predict if you have dementia up to nine years earlier

An international research team led by Queen Mary University of London, UK, has developed a new method for predicting dementia with an over 80 per cent accuracy and up to nine years before diagnosis. The new method provides a more accurate way to predict dementia than memory tests or measurements of brain shrinkage, two commonly used methods for diagnosing dementia.

A special thanks to our contributors

Icons
Caroline Egan

DCM Media, agedcare101

Caroline has a wealth of experience writing within the retirement and aged care sector and is a contributing journalist for the Villages.com.au and agedcare101 blog and accompanying newsletters.

Icons
Ian Horswill

Journalist

Ian is a journalist, writer and sub-editor for the aged care sector, working at The DCM Group. He writes for The Weekly Source, agedcare101, villages.com.au and the DCM Institute fortnightly newsletter Friday. Ian is in daily contact with CEOs of retirement living, land lease and the aged care operations and makes a new contact every week. He investigates media releases, LinkedIn and Facebook for a good source for ideas for stories.

Icons
Lauren Broomham

Retirement and Aged Care Journalist

Lauren is a journalist for villages.com.au, agedcare101 and The Donaldson Sisters. Growing up in a big family in small town communities, she has always had a love for the written word, joining her local library at the age of six months. With over eight years' experience in writing and editing, she is a keen follower of news and current affairs with a nose for a good story.

Icons
Jill Donaldson

Physiotherapist

Jill has been practicing as a clinical physiotherapist for 30 years. For the last 13 years she has worked solely in the Aged Care sector in more than 50 metropolitan and regional facilities. Jill has also toured care facilities in the US and Africa and is a passionate advocate for both the residents in aged care and the staff who care for them. She researches and writes for DCM Media.

Icons
Chris Baynes

DCM Media, agedcare101

Chris has been a journalist and publisher in the retirement village and aged care sectors for 11 years. He has visited over 250 retirement villages and 50 aged care facilities both within Australia and internationally. Chris is a regular speaker at industry conferences plus is a frequent radio commentator.

Icons
Annie Donaldson

Nurse and Carer

Annie has a long career in both nursing and the media. She has planned and co-ordinated the medical support from both international TV productions and major stadium events. In recent years she has been a primary family carer plus involved in structured carer support.