Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Retirement village residents feel uninformed - report

Updated at 9:04 am on 21 July 2011

Many retirement village residents feel poorly informed about fee increases and other changes, and operators are being urged to improve communication.

The Retirement Commissioner's office on Thursday released its report on the residences from the occupants' perspective.

The commissioner, Diana Crossan, says people primarily move to retirement villages for security reasons but are often unclear about fee increases, reductions in services, and changes in operation or ownership.

Many residents claimed they felt anxious and uninformed about the future of their village.

The commissioner says most retirement village operators communicate well with residents and implement legal requirements effectively, but improvements are still needed.

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