Moving into an Australian retirement village for $11 million, only to get back millions 6 years later? Can Taiwan learn from thi

Taiwan is more suited for small-scale senior housing, borrowing from the Australian group model. Retirement villages have been developing in Australia for a century. Although the number is unimaginably large for Taiwanese people, they are actually in short supply. Industry surveys found that nearly 27,000 people are on the waiting list, and many retirement villages are under construction with fierce competition, with the top five operators currently holding only a 15% market share. This thriving industrial ecosystem is worth Taiwan's reference, but whether it is the path Taiwan should take in the future is worth reflecting on. Lin Jin-li, a long-term care expert and chairman of the Taiwan Self-Support Care Professional Development Association, explained that while most people find it comfortable to vacation in Phuket for a week or two, they often get bored after staying for a month. Hotel-style retirement villages may not be suitable for the majority. He believes that what elders want in their later years is not a vacation, but the "feeling of being alive" – knowing what to do each day and feeling useful. The ideal living environment should be a small-scale senior residence of about 30 to 50 people, located within the elders' original living circles. Wesley Mission Queensland in Australia operates both residential aged care facilities, home care services, and retirement villages simultaneously. "We use the money earned from the retirement villages to subsidize other losses," said Genevieve Green, head of aged care services. "In fact, residential aged care facilities lose 9 Australian dollars per bed per day, but retirement villages are a good source of profit, helping the group develop sustainably." Moreover, up to 80% of residents in the facilities come from the retirement villages, and this integrated service allows elders to feel more secure.