Are you aged 55 or over?

[Vintagejazz]

Just heard an ad on Smooth FM for retirement homes for people aged 55 or over. . My sister will be 55 in November. She was at a party last night, is flying to Geneva tomorrow for some work meetings, and is meeting me next weekend for lunch and clothes shopping. She and her husband play tennis at least twice a week and work in very high powered jobs. They have barbecues, go to concerts and run marathons.

Seriously, marketing retirement homes at 55 year olds?? In this day and age?? AIBU to think this is absolutely crazy and totally out of touch with reality?

No Running. 55 year olds like to have a nice nap in the afternoon and then watch repeats of Murder She Wrote. They don't want noisy children running around.

No thats the whole point no kids when im 55 dds will be 33 and 28 if I had spent money on a kids free place and you moved in id have a cats bum face

Do Meals on Wheels have an organic option?

Is it just dinner they deliver? Would they drop off some smoothies in the morning?

There are some of these fancy type of retirement homes up the coast from where I live, they are basically like posh holiday homes with a social committee who organises parties/outings/etc (a relative's relative lives there). There are also some flats like this in a very desirable part of the city where I live that resemble very upmarket halls of residence with options for self contained flats or communal living.
I think they are marketed at a certain demographic of the affluent empty nesters looking to downsize, people who want somewhere low maintenance they can lock up and leave to go on cruises etc and those who have been widowed/divorced near retirement age.
So I don't think they are going for the frail and housebound types that would need a fold or assisted living, but I do think there is a wide variation in the lifestyles/health/capabilities of those in their 50s and 60s.
My parents are in their early 60s and live the life of Riley, holidaying, eating out, living life. Some of my friends parents struggle to live independently in their 50s, requiring meals on wheels and with illnesses associated with old age.

If it isn't for you fine, but don't knock it. I am planning on buying a nice cottage in a sheltered apartment for my 70's. I know from experience with my parents that hanging on in a house far too big isn't easy and one tends to get more isolated if one is in poor health.

I would rather do that than be a burden on my DC

Big difference between 50s and 70s elastamum

Peppermint it would be very unusual for people in their fifties to struggle to live independently. Unfortunately some people in their 20s,30s,40s and 50s do become ill and sometimes develop conditions that we would tend to associate with older people eg serious arthritis.
But it's unusual and can happen to any age group.

To be serious for a minute my mil was eldery and Infirm in her late 50s we tried to get her somewhere suitible to live there wasnt really anywhere she could go old peoples homes she was too young and she wouldnt go anyway the 1 bed bungalows were like hens teeth she sadly died at 60 way to young to have the illness she had its rare but not everyone is fit and healthy

Elderly

I agree Mrsjayy. But a sad situation like that can happen at any age, and marketing retirement homes to 55 year olds is just a bit inappropriate in my view and can give quite a depressing view of middle age to people.
The vast, vast majority of 50+ year olds are active and healthy and contributing to society and that should be acknowledged. Why write people off as elderly before they are?

Too old for the mosh pit
Too young to stop attending rock festivals

That's not what we're saying. We're saying that people at any age can unfortunately be diagnosed with a debilitating illness that leaves them infirm or immobile or very dependent.
But that doesn't make it logical to decide that there is a significant cohort of people in their mid 50s who are ready to move into retirement homes or who are vulnerable and need some kind of assisted living.

I think you're twisting people's words a bit there Corus

Vintagejazz- I know that the majority of people in their 50s and 60s(and older) can live independently (and certainly most of my points of reference fall into this) I was just trying to say there is a wide spectrum and it is largely dependent on their lifestyles that contribute or they have some untimely illness earlier in life. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

Having seen some of these retirement complexes, they are certainly aimed at the independent (not to mention affluent) baby boomers who want to get rid of the responsibility of a large home and live it up on the profits from the sale of it.

Tbf people are not ancient at 55 maybe they should rebrand these places instead of saying its for retirement but I think they are a good idea dh doesnt want to go down the same route as his mum so plans to slow down working mid 50s we wont have teens or kids at uni by then so if you can then why not look into living life a bit slower

My dp is 55. He just finished his MA, and we spent last Tuesday night drinking cocktails and Jack Daniels in a bar in town. He plays very loud electric guitar, takes my ds on bike rides, did the best of all of us at Go Ape recently and an early night never means cocoa

Not ready for the knacker's yard yet!

I am in my 50's already vintage. Not nearly ready for the retirement housing, but old enough to be thinking what I will do when I am.

For me, it seems like a good option. We can downsize, give money to the DC and buy a small lock up and leave cottage, so we can travel and have somewhere to come back to, and when we are really old we wont need to move again.

Some people have had enough of working full time by their mid fifties and, if they can afford it, will go part time or retire early from their job. But that's not the same as packing up your belongings and moving to a retirement complex.

I would think most people who give up work in their fifties do so because they want many years of active life after they no longer have to get up and go to work every morning and because, at that age, mortgages will often be paid off and kids will no longer be financially dependent on their parents, so they can start to relax and enjoy life.

That sounds lovely elastamum but what has it got to do with retirement homes?

I'm 56 and no where near ready for a retirement home yet but I think these homes could appeal to those who have a health issue, or maybe someone who is very lonely and fancies companionship.

Sorry, and yes, I also believe some people can be old at 55. It all depends on the life they've had. We lost a friend last week, he was 60, and at almost 5 my husband could have jumped over his head. It got us to talking and the general consensus was that if a person has had a hard life then being in your late 50's could have you feeling old.