Retirement villages — a no-brainer we haven't got our heads around 

We need to give serious thought to how we provide proper quality of life in later years — which means communities where the key is independent living, writes Mick Clifford

Pat O’Mahony is convinced that retirement villages will come to Ireland in a similar manner in which they are part of the social infrastructure abroad. File picture: iStock

Pat O’Mahony was in Melbourne, visiting his daughter after she gave birth to twins. In the week the two girls were born, a report on radio announced that a woman born in that particular week should have a life expectancy of 105 years. The news gave him pause for reflection about the old country. 

If today’s babies are going to put down a century, how are their latter years going to be lived?