Retirement villages - what do you think?

 On the surface a retirement village appears and attractive option - there are plenty of commercial companies pushing the concept.

I'd suggest there is a significant negative side to the concept. Would you look forward to living in one?

There are already several building areas devoted to housing older people in Ulverston and although they have some advantages. How do people enjoy living in them? Would it not be far better if houses in real streets were converted to suit the needs of the old?

Do the people living in pockets of old people lose the perspective of living in a community with a wide variety of occupancy.

Most of their days and lives is spent with others in a similar situation. It can be very depressing with a high proportion steadily declining to death.

An alternative is to have contact and being a part of raising very young children. Older people have time to spend and enjoy being part of the lives of youngsters as they discover the world. Friendships can be developed that can enrich both lives.

Older people have a lot of wisdom and knowledge to share which benefits both the recipient and the giver and leads to the old folk having a sense of self esteem.

It is good for us oldies to feel we can contribute to the enjoyment of others. This contribution can be very real - offering babysitting for the hard pressed parent - walking home-bound dogs for people out at work. Being a source of expertise from our previous and current lives as the old explore new areas of learning with the time available to them. They might even persuade a thirty year old to get involved with being a councillor!

Thus there's a lot that can be said against the concept of bundling one section of society all together. We need close contact with each other so we have immediate knowledge of other peoples lives rather than a remote TV newspaper glance at their world.

So escaping from the responsibility of building affordable housing has led to a poverty of human contact for those that will come and live at Fairview. Has not a great opportunity been missed with a second rate existence for those that come to live there.

A quick look at the internet lists some of the advantages of supporting oldies (pardon, seniors)  in their existing houses rather than moving them:

• It fosters community continuity, which means the senior can continue to frequent their usual grocery store, drugstore or other places in which they are comfortable shopping and asking for help
• It maintains valuable social networks,  often keeping contact with neighbors and friends that live nearby
• It has a way of strengthening family and family ties
• It promotes physical and mental well-being, just be continuing to keep the senior in a home where they often have raised their family

Perhaps there was a case for affordable housing at Fair View,  Ulverston after all!