This topic actually started off as a joke, but the more I said it, the better it began to sound. With retirement becoming increasingly expensive and medical advancements continuously raising our life expectancy, many retirees are questioning whether they want to settle in one place to spend their remaining days. These future "Silver Hostels" could provide a refreshing alternative, especially considering the following:
Perhaps by then, the word "youth" will finally be dissociated from hostels too!
Most retirement homes have quite complex activity schedules compared to most hostels today. They pride themselves on the activities they offer and how they keep their residents engaged. These activities include physical exercise, games, meals, drinks, and entertainment. We can easily see how this model can apply to a 'silver hostel,' with even more enthusiasm, as the hostel model can introduce new participants at any time.
However, activities alone won't be enough. Retirement home residents have more demands than hostel guests, and they deserve it. In addition to a packed activity schedule, you can expect these hostels to offer amenities unheard of before. Think of 24-hour nurses, tech assistants to help them keep up with the newest gadgets, special visitation facilities, a universal chapel, and perhaps even their own hospice. Okay, maybe not that far, but you get the idea. Retirement communities are a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. and U.K. alone, but why should people spend the last days of their lives in one spot?
Retirement hostels can introduce people to new locations while providing some consistency in facilities and expectations, no matter where they go. This way, they can have their cake and eat it too. They can visit one close to their family but travel when the family is busy. They can spend summers in the mountains and winters in warmer locations. The sky's the limit, really.
The film, The Exotic Marigold Hotel, was onto something but was a little limited by being called a hotel. It would be better suited as a hostel, just with more private rooms. The infrastructure is already there. Imagine if the top retirement communities offered a wing or even a few rooms for this cause and created some kind of exchange program where residents could switch places. As it gains popularity, they could also offer a place for some transients to stay.
The concept could really take off, allowing our elders to see the world and meet like-minded individuals in the later stages of life. Silver hostels could be the next best thing, and I hope they're an option by the time I retire. Perhaps by then, the word "youth" will finally be dissociated from hostels too!