I work at a village and can say that even though there are a few operators out there that are really bad like the ones we hear about on tv there are also others that aren't so it's a bit unfair putting all of them in the same basket. The media most of the time are only interested in showing the worst of things and sometime over dramatize things as it get public outrage and ratings for them. Most people look at this and think exit fees etc are disgraceful but what they don't realize is that there needs to be some profit made to pay for upkeep and renovating etc etc. Most times when a resident leaves the unit will get repainted, new flooring, sometimes new bathrooms and kitchens, new air conditioning and hot water systems seeing as the usual life span is about 7 to 10 years, the list goes on. Anyone that has renovated recently knows it's not a cheap exercise. Money for this needs to come from somewhere so residents can live in modern, tidy and reliable housing. There is also the bigger unexpected maintenance projects that come up like roofing, building movement, etc. If you want to run these places at a loss then how can they survive and supply housing for the elderly.
There is also another side of this which is not very well publicized but every year the government cuts more and more from aged care especially nursing homes, with costs rising and government input to aged care decreasing you don't need to be Einstein to work out it's not sustainable. I've seen a lot of cuts in many areas the last few years which is very sad but in some instances necessary and most of these retirement village operators also are involved with nursing homes so think about it. There is so much to the story of aged care that nobody knows about or understands but from what I see there is very little care for the elderly now especially from our governments.
Disgustingly in this country once you reach a certain age you feel like your pushed into a corner where nobody gives a second thought about you and hope you just pass away as you now have become a burden on society.
