Country life isn’t so carefree for retirees

Many Australians have fond memories of growing up in the bush, but growing old in the country is not always so carefree.

As rural Australia continues to lose its young people to the city for work and education, it is attracting urban retirees lured by cheaper housing and the dream of a life in the country.

Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia’s chief executive, Ian Yates, says country towns are great places with a strong sense of community, but there are often fewer health services, minimal public transport and slower internet speeds, which can affect how some retirees keep in touch with children and grandchildren.

Country areas face a relative shortage of aged care services, and in more remote areas where the demand is low facilities for the small number of people who need them are unprofitable, according to the National Rural Health Alliance; a group of 32 bodies committed to serving the bush.

Sadly, there are instances of elderly couples being forced to part when not enough aged care places are available in the same facility, or the deteriorating health of one of them means moving, not just to a different aged care home, but to another town.

“There is the dilemma that the transport between town A and town B is not regular, so then where do you stay (during the visit)?” Mr Yates asks.

“In many parts of Australia, non-metropolitan transport is minimal or non-existent, or hugely time consuming. So there may be transport to take you to the next town, but it will take you the whole day,” he says.

Retirees, especially those from the city, are being urged to plan carefully before heading to the bush.

“Anecdotally, cheaper housing and weather are the reasons why people move to country areas; but people need to check out services and not assume the government will pop them in,” Mr Yates says.

He says retirees also need to take account of potential health issues and the reality of treatment options in the bush and squirrel away savings for a rainy day.

Access to health services in major regional centres may be good, but the further away you are from those big hospitals, the options may become limited.

‘None of these things [factors] are saying don’t move to the country. It is just to say have a plan,” Mr Yates says.

Professor Jeni Warburton, chair of the John Richards Research Initiative into Aged Care in Rural Communities at La Trobe University, echoes Mr Yates’ concerns on country retirement living.

The country and the coast may offer a great lifestyle for older people, but such a move is not without risks, especially when a partner dies or becomes sick.

She warns once retirees have sold their city home, bought a smaller house in the country and perhaps a new car, they often can’t afford to go back to “the big smoke”, even if they need to.

“Some rural areas have a very high proportion of older people and that can lead to issues around making sure there is enough economic base in the community, but it is not necessarily a problem, it (just) needs to be planned for,” Ms Warburton says.

Of the some 2.9 million Australians aged 65 and older, about 35% live outside major cities.

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