With few aged care beds joining the system – and home care delivering just five hours of direct care a week – retirement villages are set to become a ‘safe harbour’ for older Australians seeking care and support – a big problem for village operators that have historically steered clear of ‘care’.

RetireAustralia is one operator that is already encouraging its residents to budget for their care needs – and actively planning to support their customers through to end-of-life.

Jointly owned by New Zealand-based investment fund Infratil and NZ Super since 2014, the village operator – led by CEO Brett Robinson – has increasingly shifted its business model towards the New Zealand continuum of care approach, embracing the idea that villages should be enabling their residents to be supported at home.