Have you truly thought about what’ll put the shine on your golden years?
A new style retirement option in Seremban may get you thinking about what you really want for this time of your life.
"It’s got all the amenities. You don’t need to join a club — unless you want to play golf, and there are many golf courses here. You can exercise, eat, your housekeeping is done for you…I think it is quite a good life."
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It’s easy to fall in love with MV.
Millennia Wow
Millennia Village inspires delight on arrival. A green and winding road sweeps up to the welcoming staff at reception. Your attention then goes to the grove of young trees rising in a circle of sunshine at the airy Central Courtyard.
Next, attention goes to the shimmering pool and the forest across the valley. And, to top it off unexpectedly, an expanse of rocky wall beyond the pool silently and splendidly presents itself.
The delights continue. Little details honour the story of this part of the world. Richly-patterned floor tiles at Saffron and on the bridge connecting the two residential blocks hark at peranakan culture and life in pre-war shophouses.
Wooden chairs and rattan weave seats take their cue from once ubiquitous coffee shops in South-east Asia.
The tropical lushness that surrounds MV is echoed by plants in many inviting nooks that beckon for conversation, contemplation, coffee or to loose yourself in a good book.
And the amenities! Recreation rooms for pool, table tennis, mahjong and karaoke, an arts and crafts room, a library that feels like home.
For keeping fit, there’s a gym, yoga/pilates room, the salt-water swimming pool, and an outdoor fitness park. A convivial rooftop bar, overlooking the Village Farm, literally crowns all of this.
They’re the backdrop to the bright cosmopolitan vibe of MV, built for fun and the needs of the silver generation. It severely challenges the common notion of retirement homes run like institutions where old folks are shipped off to by unfilial children.
How Are People Retiring?
"In Taiwan (retirement homes) are very popular. In Japan it’s the fashion to move into retirement homes. In England, Canada, Australia, it’s quite matured."
But MV’s three founders look to give something more than a run-of-the-mill retirement home experience.
For ideas, John looked towards Club Med, and its one price for access to all amenities and fun.
Founder Peter Ho, the architect behind MV’s design, took a leaf from retirees who sold their houses to pay for long-term cruises. They get a good discount, and use the cruise ship as a retirement home. They love the fun factor, and how everything is taken care of for them.
It speaks volumes that MV is a place the founders enjoy spending time at. Visitors are likely to find themselves welcomed like long-lost relatives in the convivial dining at Saffron, and included in conversations.
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Mindset To Mull
Back in Singapore, expectations of families taking care of elders still abound. But the old ways are breaking.
The rosy promise of the retirement years is challenging to realise with an empty nest, smaller families, weakening family ties and likely a shrinking circle of friends and family.
Downsizing to smaller apartments can be daunting. Shutting the front door in a new neighbourhood means you’re no longer seen.
It’s no wonder that two in five Singaporeans aged 62 years and above admit to feeling socially isolated, according to a 2015 study done by Duke-NUS Medical School’s Centre for Ageing Research and Education.
That statistic is higher than the newer 2021 finding of one in four older adults worldwide from the World Health Organisation. Could loneliness be a symptom of how neighbourhoods and city life are structured?
Charting a new path through retirement is necessary with vanishing kampungs, nuclear families, and a modern generation of parents who prefer to raise their children their way.
And as more of us watch our parents grow old, a place where they can be safe and happy in is as welcome for our peace of mind, as it is for theirs.
Susan Ho, the third of MV’s founders, shared how one lady brought her father to see the place. His wife would not come. She was turned off the moment she heard ‘retirement home’.
He came to appease their daughter, and was so thrilled by what he discovered that he vowed to find a way to bring his wife to MV.
A Time To Every Purpose
The silver years bring a gift — a golden window. It’s a point in our lives where we’re reasonably healthy, still energetic, work no longer commands our time, we’re financially able, and free of the responsibilities of parenting or looking after parents. How will we spend this time?
It’s a question that Peter has been mulling for a while. A friend once told him about running into another friend in his 70s.
He asked him, “How’s life? The answer, enacted in Chinese, was that he was ‘waiting to die.’” It was a tragic-comic moment.
“I think the only way to do it is by connecting with people, by giving. Because you have your legacy, your knowledge. That trove of experience, you have to hand it down. That’s very important."
For this reason, he designed MV around a central courtyard, to mimic the most vibrant space in a village — the village square, a space where people meet, interact and enjoy life. Purpose is found through human connections, and MV is about making those connections possible.
While MV is intended for longterm lease for active seniors, there are rooms set aside for short stays, should adult children wish to visit their parents.
Dotting The ‘I’s
What more could one ask for? Medical services? Check.
There are a few hospitals near MV; KPJ Hospital & Colombia Hospital are about 7km away.
MV is equipped with an AED machine, and employees will be trained in first aid and fire safety skills. Operational staff get lifesaving courses and training in emergency medical response.
The Sick Bay is a multipurpose space for healthcare. It acts as a first aid room for minor injuries, and as an isolation room, should the need arise.
The second block at MV also houses what will be the Wellness Centre, for spa, reflexology, physiotherapy, chiropractic, traditional Chinese medicine practices and the like.
Plans are underway for an Assisted Living Residence to open next to MV.
What about city distractions like shopping, food and movies? Seremban isn’t that sleepy. MV is 10 minutes away from Seremban city, replete with malls and shopping centres. Not enough? Shop the world at your fingertips with wi-fi at MV, or to stay in touch with far-flung friends and family.
Several places of worship are also available nearby in town.
What’s more, it’s close enough to KLIA for the footloose.
The price? Time at MV is on a lease model.
A fully furnished suite with mod cons, housekeeping services, electricity and water, two meals a day (breakfast and dinner), access to all facilities in the secure gated community costs a fraction of renting a small apartment in a nice neighbourhood in Singapore.
Rooms are well appointed, and the resort is designed to make you step out to enjoy its facilities and meet people.
Crossing The ’T's
Coming back to John’s question, “Is MV too premature?” Let’s just say the demographics are in its favour.
Is a place like MV for you? Perhaps these questions will help.
- What’s going on in your life now?
- What do you think it’s going to be like in five years’ time?
- What holds you to your current home and lifestyle?
- Do you want a change?
- Are you ready for a new adventure?
- Are you ready to make new friends?
- Why would you want to move?
These questions aren’t exhaustive, but are meant to set you thinking about writing your golden chapter. Perhaps at Millennia Village?
Want to know more about Millennia Village? If in Malaysia, book a viewing through their website millenniavillage.com.
If you have a group in Singapore interested in seeing the place, contact Janice Hong, +65 9760 8638
