ACT RVRA July Newsletter
In this Newsletter:
- 2025 ACT RVRA Forum
- Consultation with Resident Committees about RV Issues
- Information Sheets for Resident Committees & Residents
- COTA ACT Seniors and Better Ageing Expo
- Associate Membership
- Membership Renewal
- Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs): Message from Stefan Geleta
- An interesting Article – The Truth about Getting Older
1. 2025 ACT RVRA Forum
The ACT RVRA held its 2025 Forum on 25 June at the Belconnen Labor Club. We organised 5 eminent presenters to speak on topics that we thought would interest both existing and prospective retirement village residents. We were delighted to attract over 250 attendees. Many of these were our members – and some who weren’t joined up after the session. We were a bit overwhelmed by the numbers to be honest ‒ so next year the checking in process will be a bit more streamlined!
For those who did attend, as well as for those who didn’t, the presentation slides are on our website at https://actrvra.org.au/slides-from-the-retirement-village-forum-2025/
2. Consultation with your Residents Committee about RV Issues
Your Association is represented on an ACT Government Working Group addressing Retirement Village issues (legislative and others). In the coming months, the Working Group will be considering a number of issues directly affecting ACT retirement villages and their residents.
To assist the Association form a view to present to the Working Group on these issues, we have decided to approach as many as possible village Resident Committees (if there is one, or otherwise a contact in the village) to obtain their views on these issues.
Issues that we will be consulting about include:
- issues relating to voting at Retirement Village meetings, including whether votes are by resident or by residence; postal voting arrangements; and the method to elect a Returning Officer;
- whether a Dispute Resolution Committee should be mandatory; and
- development of Model Rules for Residents Committees.
The ACT RVRA Committee will shortly be contacting either the Chair of your Resident Committee, or our Contacts in your retirement village (if we don’t have contact details for the Chair), to see if the residents want to have a say on these issues, and if so, what their view is.
If the grass is greener on the other side,
you can bet your life that the water bill is higher.
3. Information Sheets for Resident Committees & Residents
We are very excited to let you know that we have retained pro bono lawyers with specialist expertise in ACT Retirement Villages legislation and issues to work on a series of Information Sheets that will provide plain English information to Resident Committees, and residents generally, on key aspect of the Retirement Villages legislation. Topics we have requested the lawyers to focus on are the setting up and operation of Residents Committees, Meetings and Voting in a RV, Village Finances, and various Management Issues. These Information Sheets will be placed on our website – but access will be restricted to ACT RVRA members only – an important benefit of your membership.
We will have more news about this project in our next newsletter.
4. COTA ACT Seniors & Better Ageing Expo
The next COTA Expo will be held on Wednesday 24 September 2025, 10-3, at the Old Bus Depot, 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston. The COTA Expos have been running for more than 30 years, and this year will have more than 150 exhibitor stalls – including Government Agencies, Retirement Living Providers, Aged Care Facility Providers, many businesses offering goods and services to Seniors, and of course, the ACT RVRA.
The ACT RVRA will have a stall staffed by Committee members to answer questions from existing residents and promoting the benefits of Retirement Village living to prospective residents. This is a really useful Expo for all seniors, and the RVRA is proud to be associated with it. So come along and enjoy the day!
If life shuts a door, open it again – it’s a door, that’s how they work!
5. Associate Membership
Until last year, membership of the Association was restricted to actual residents of a ACT Retirement Village. However, other people – prospective village residents and family members of village residents for example – expressed interest to us in joining the Association. So, at the Association’s 2024 AGM, we amended our Constitution to allow such interested people to join the association as Associate Members.
If you have friends or family who are interested in joining the ACT RVRA, please encourage them to go to our website https://actrvra.org.au/product/associate-act-rvra-yearly-membership/ where they can join for $15 per year (single). A strong membership helps us to support you, and generally, assists us to promote the benefits of retirement village living in the ACT.
6. Membership Renewal
It is that time of year when your ACT RVRA Membership is due for renewal (by 30 September 2025). We hope you have found the benefits of the Association useful – such as our informative newsletters that we began sending you this year, and public events like our recent and highly successful Forum.
Our operations over the last two years have been subsidised significantly by a grant from the ACT Government – but this is now fully expended. Running major events such as the Forum and attending the COTA Expo each year – cannot be completely funded by membership fees alone – though the revenue from fees definitely helps. We are currently waiting to see if the ACT Government can provide some more funding to support our activities. So – we would love you to join our association again for another 12 months.
Having a critical level of support from you also maintains our credibility as an effective advocate for all ACT retirement village residents and enables us to champion your interests in forums such as the ACT Government’s Review of the legislation that regulates ACT Retirement Villages (Retirement Villages Act & Regulations). Maintaining, and indeed growing, the Association’s membership gives us a much more influential voice generally.
So, if you were a member BEFORE 1 April 2025, please consider renewing your membership of our Association for 2025-26 by credit card or by electronic funds transfer from your bank. Note that we no longer accept payments by cheque. We will shortly send out a renewal email containing details of your options to renew, including a link to the card payment page.
We think the fees are modest and are unchanged from 2024-25, so please take advantage of this to keep your membership of our Association alive! Doing so enables us to continue to inform, advise, and represent you, and advocate for all residents of ACT retirement villages.
I went to the paint store to get thinner – it didn’t work.
7. AEDs – a lifesaving initiative for your village?
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are being promoted as being important equipment to be installed in Retirement Villages.
Sudden cardiac arrest is reportedly one of the leading causes of death in Australia, and time can be critical in an emergency. In some parts of Australia, AEDs are now mandated in aged care and community settings.
The Association has been approached by an AED provider seeking to promote their adoption in retirement villages. They point out that they are simple to use, require no medical training, and can truly make a lifesaving difference.
If your village is interested to learn more about AEDs, feel free to contact Stefan Geleta from Stryker on 0427 161 815 or at stefan.geleta@stryker.com. Stefan is happy to do a presentation on this equipment to the residents of your village.
NB: The ACT RVRA is not endorsing this product. We are just passing on Stefan’s message as a possible contribution to Retirement Village Resident safety.
8. The Truth about Getting Older
Leaving aside major medical, financial and other complications, research shows that most older people in their 80s will be happier than people in their 70s, and those in their 70s are generally happier than those in their 60s. And here are the reasons:
A. Modern medicine has transformed old age
Many health conditions can be successfully treated and managed. Many body bits that wear out can be replaced – think knees, hips and shoulders. Modern hearing aids actually work and can be individually tailored, and there are no longer any lifestyle limitations due to cataracts.
B. We continue to learn and develop
Can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Bah humbug to that. Today we have a better understanding of the ageing brain and neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to grow and reorganize its neural networks.
C. We become more grateful and content
At some stage during our passage through life we come to the realisation that the metaphorical glass half empty is really a glass half full.
We feel grateful and content with what we have. We recognize that we are lucky to be alive with only a small proportion of us making it to age 90. As a result, we don’t want to waste a single second complaining.
D. We live in the present moment
As we age, particularly into our late 70s and 80s, we rarely make plans that extend further than 18 months into the future. The uncertainties of life often make us avoid long-term planning, even though we may live for many more years.
E. What really brings us joy are our relationships
When we were younger, most of us worked towards attaining material security and comfort – a nice house, car and investments. We worked hard, strove to achieve our goals and take care of our families. For years, we were too busy and rushed to fully take time to stop and smell the roses.
Today, most of us have shed the demands of paid employment and other time-consuming responsibilities. Finally, we have the gift of time to spend with family and friends.
One of the biggest benefits of life in a Retirement Village is the built-in social network that characterises this lifestyle model. Retirement villages in Canberra host everything from art classes and book clubs to morning teas and lawn bowls tournaments. Friendships flourish, and loneliness takes a back seat.
I told my wife to embrace her mistakes – she hugged me.