The Australian Retirement Village Accreditation Scheme (ARVAS) is the primary accreditation scheme for retirement village and seniors housing operators in Australia.
It is operated by the Property Council of Australia and Leading Age Services Australia.
The scheme has been developed to support and improve several elements of a resident’s experience within a retirement village.
The ARVAS Standards comprise of seven key quality areas, these include:
Community Management
Human Resource Management
Resident Entry and Exit
Resident Engagement and Feedback
Environment, Services and Facilities
Safety and Security
Resident Care
Once accredited, the Retirement Villiage is required to implement and adhere to the minimum requirements under the ARVAS. Such minimum requirements are put in place in order to reflect the key elements of a resident's experience within a retirement village as well as to facilitate improvement from within. The fact that the ARVAS accreditation may not been approved is not of particular concern from a financial perspective. However, it may mean that certain minimum standards with regards to the service to be provided may not yet be in place.
Commercially, it is a primary concern to ensure that the retirement village is registered under Consumer Affairs Victoria. This means that the Retirement Village operates under the Retirement Villages Act 1986 which provides standard protections and guarantees from the government and other bodies, particularly financially (in the event the retirement village is wound up).
Our office can assist you in reviewing the documents provided to you by the retirement village. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact our office on 9450 9400.