Why you should consider living in an OCAV retirement village

Ask any resident at one of OCAV’s four retirement villages what persuaded them to put their name down for a home and the answer is nearly always – I loved the sense of community.

This has been especially noticeable in the coronavirus lockdown where staying at home did not seem quite as formidable in a retirement village as it may have done before. Although physical distancing meant keeping away from your friends by 1.5 metres, a walk around each village meant seeing people you know, catching up for a chat from a distance, and baking and making for friends as acts of kindness.

Here are their top five reasons for choosing OCAV:

Live in a community

Living in a retirement village gives you the chance to meet new people, be a part of a community and join in regular social events and hobby group meet ups.

Many of our residents say they have never felt fitter or mentally better after a few months of living in one of our villages. Each village has its own community centre where activities are led by residents and often include bowls, gentle exercise, walking groups, film and book clubs, and much more. Each village has an edible garden. Leith Park has access to an outside exercise gym, one of only three in retirement villages in Australia.

Feel secure in a safe village

From health to maintenance, OCAV has its residents covered: there are always people around, there is a daily wellbeing check, access to health care professionals, and access to 24-hour monitoring. Maintenance is included in the monthly fee as is gardening. All of which means you have more time to spend with family and friends, as well as catching up with other residents.

Affordable housing

Entry into any of our villages involves a one-off entry fee for those who cannot afford it. Every resident pays a monthly maintenance fee which is CPI-indexed. There are no exit fees and entry into Liscombe House does not include a Refundable Accommodation Deposit.

To be offered a place at any of our villages includes a $50 fee to be placed on the wait list. The average waitlist time differs between villages.

Move to another level of care easily

OCAV was founded over 150 years ago with the mission of providing safe, affordable homes for older Victorians in need. The mission continues today through an extraordinary model of care which seamlessly allows a resident to live independently, move into assisted living when they need a bit more assistance, and then into Liscombe House, its aged care home.

Being part of a not-for-profit community

OCAV is a not for profit organisation which means that it reinvests funds back into services and infrastructure to continue to provide quality living for its residents. Over the years, OCAV has invested funds into developing new accommodation for older Victorians at Leith Park and Rushall Park, as well as upgrading homes in Braeside Park and Currie Park.