Estate Living Magazine #liveyourbestlife - Issue 46 December 2019 | Page 26

P R O P E R T Y
&
I N V E S T M E N T
• Many LGBTI people who live quite happily and openly for
years are faced with entrenched homophobia on moving to a
retirement facility. So there is a huge demand for the facilities
provided by Oakmont Senior Living, which caters specifically for
LGBTI retirees.
• But then, of course, many people fantasise about spending their
retirement in a huge and luxurious RV or caravan exploring our
beautiful country. But what happens when the wheels fall off?
Not those of the RV – those of the drivers and occupants. Well,
in the USA, where RV-ing at retirement is a big thing, that’s all
taken care of. Escapees CARE Center is a non-profit community
that offers CARE (Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees)
to those who have reached the end of the open road through
illness, injury or infirmity. Or perhaps just need a period of rehab
after surgery or illness. It’s not a ‘home’. They offer a place to
park your RV in a secure environment with access to a range of
medical and non-medical care options, like meals, nursing, etc.
and operated by the National Association of Letter Carriers
(NALC) on the understanding that – while they were working –
letter carriers were not among the most highly paid of workers.
Hmm, think about teachers, nurses, police officers. • The possibilities are endless. How about a community of grey-
haired trail runners or hikers, online gaming retirees, birders,
anglers, archers or bagpipe players? (The latter may not work
except way out in the veld.)
• Not surprisingly, creatives like to hang out with creatives. NoHo
Senior Arts Colony in North Hollywood is open to all artistic types,
but tends to attract mostly writers and actors, while Long Beach
Senior Arts Colony is more visually oriented, but neither is cast in
stone – it’s all about expressing yourself in a safe, nurturing and
creative environment. Something Verdi would have understood. Retirement is not a time for huddling down, giving up and looking
in. It’s a time to explore new ideas, and to live those dreams that you
may have put off in the interests of raising a family, making a living
and doing what was expected of you. Perhaps, now, it’s time to do
what is not expected. Live adventurously.
• University retirement communities are popping up on some of
the most prestigious campuses in the USA, including Stanford,
Notre Dame, the University of Florida, Penn State and UC
Davis. These communities, which are not only for members of
the convocation, offer residents the opportunity to immerse
themselves in lifelong learning by taking short (or longer) courses
on campus, and the estates offer regular lectures and workshops
run by visiting or local academics. And, of course, we all know
how rejuvenating campus life can be.
• Possibly at the other end of the spectrum, Lake Weir Living in
Florida caters for retirees who don’t want to be bound by rules –
people who want to fix motorcycles on their front porches, keep
five big dogs, build a six-car garage to store their three boats, or
perhaps even play paintball on the front lawn. It’s about freedom
from rules – no HOA, no hassle, no hard feelings. Not sure that
would work here, but it’s an intriguing idea. With 300 homes on
about 200 hectares, there’s plenty of room to let your hair down.
Jen Stern