Retirement Living Reboot!

For the baby boomer generation, traditional aged care leaves a lot to be desired. Genevieve Gannon looks at some of the innovations making to later-life living.

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In Sydney’s harbourside suburb of Balmain, where geraniums spill from terrazzo pots and the streets are lined with cafes, a group of professionals were contemplating what they wanted their next phase of life to look like. Educated, healthy and aged in their 50s and 60s, they were wondering: How can we build a better retirement?

Among them was Keryn Curtis, 55, a journalist and ageing consultant with a thorough knowledge of the aged-care sector. When she thought about what she would like her senior years to look like, she wasn’t satisfied with what was on offer. She wanted to ensure her community connections remained intact, but also that she would have access to the services and care she may need as she grew older.

“A lot of people say, ‘I’m not going to think about that until I need to’. That’s when you lose all your choices,” says Keryn. “The idea is to make those choices when you’re our age. To think about it and have a plan.”

She and some friends created The AGEncy Project. Their motto is: “Growing older with gusto in the community we know and love”. Their aim: a co-housing space where people can spend their later years in a setting that offers independence without isolation. “It’s part of our sensible, proactive plan to give ourselves the best shot possible at an independent, active and engaged old age,” Keryn says.