Eight-point plan for retirement gets runs on the board

The retirement village industry eight-point plan is now a year old. What progress have we made? Plenty, says Retirement Living Council president Alison Quinn.

Last August, retirement village owners and operators agreed on an eight-point action plan to deliver higher standards and greater transparency, clearer and simpler information about costs and contracts, and an independent umpire to resolve disputes.

Since then, the Retirement Living Council has made significant headway on its action plan to support the 180,000-plus people who live in retirement villages around Australia, Quinn says.

Chief among the actions is a new Code of Conduct, which intends to set standards above and beyond legal obligations.

“There are many exceptional operators in this sector. The Code is about lifting the high watermark for the entire industry,” Quinn, chief executive officer of RetireAustralia, explains.

This “solid piece of work” is being developed in consultation with residents and is supported by the three peak bodies representing retirement living owners and operators: the Property Council, Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) and Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA).

“Together, these three organisations represent more than 80 per cent of all retirement living operators in Australia.

“We had 2-plus submissions, a large number of which came from existing residents and committees of residents. We are currently working through this feedback and plan to launch a final Code of Conduct before Christmas,” Quinn says.

The Code of Conduct is a step towards nationally consistent legislation and contracts – the first priority of the eight-point plan, Quinn says. All retirement community owners and operators will be encouraged to sign up to the Code.

 

Transparency and trust

Meanwhile, an accreditation program is currently being developed in conjunction with LASA, which the Council hopes will become “a mandatory requirement for operating a village”.

A new professional education program is soon to be launched too. Quinn says the Council has reached out to independent experts to develop the curriculum, which will be delivered mostly online to make it economical and convenient.

Other projects include guidelines to help village operators structure their contracts in plain English, something Quinn says smaller operators have appreciated. Another tool helps potential residents seek independent legal advice before entering into a contract.

“There is no operator in Australia that wants to end up in a dispute with a resident. Seeking independent legal advice provides an extra level of comfort. We are seeing more people turn to lawyers before entering contracts – something we welcome.”

The eight-point plan also commits to an efficient and cost-effective government-backed independent dispute resolution process, something that can vary from state to state depending on legislative requirements.

“We will support the best approach in each state. In Victoria, the residents’ association is very keen for the state government to appoint an ombudsman. Western Australia has a dispute resolution process that is already working very well. Other states may prefer an advocate. It’s horses for courses,” Quinn says.

 

Supporting people with purpose

Quinn also welcomes the announcement of a Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, although she adds that it is unclear whether the terms of reference will include retirement living villages.

“Australians who live in retirement villages are independent and have a very different set of needs to those in residential aged care who require full-time care and assistance,” Quinn explains.

Retirement living residents are “people with purpose and independence, who are strong advocates for themselves”.

While it is still early days, Quinn says the Council is committed to engaging with residents, “whether that’s through a residents’ association, a committee or an individual”.

“We have developed great strategies to deliver a quality experience for residents. The eight-point plan provides opportunities for the federal government to look for nationally consistent delivery and expectations,” she says.

“We are working hard to engage with our residents because we all want better outcomes for our sector.”

Download the Retirement Village Industry Eight Point Plan.