But modern society does not often have time for people outside of the workforce - which is why it is imperative for retired people to live in a home and a community that is built around them and their needs.

This is why the concept of the "retirement resort" could be set to have the same sort of impact in Ireland as it has already had in, for example, the US, the UK and Australia. There are thousands of recently retired people who are living totally independent lives, and who are looking forward to lives of social and recreational activity.

But their homes may not be the ideal setting for this new departure. A retirement resort offers the peace of mind of knowing that you are living in a secure setting - but more than this, there is the comfort of knowing that you will be surrounded by people of a similar age group with similar needs and desires.

One example of this new concept is Glendale Estate, near Tullow in County Carlow. There are two distinct, but interlinked, elements to Glendale. The first is a 30,000 sq ft 60 bedroom state-of-the-art nursing home for high-dependency clients. But the second is a development of 149 two bedroom houses, which are designed to be used by people over 55 years who are simply looking for an appropriate setting for their retirements. These people will benefit from 24hour security, a 24-hour nurse-on-call facility, and a social programme which has been designed specifically for people at this later stage in their lives.

While security and healthcare will be a major consideration, especially as the initially independent residents may become a little more dependent, it is the social element of this resort that should ultimately be the key to its success. For example, there is a 3,000 sq ft pavilion, with caf�/bar, library, internet access and a health spa.

But more than this, there are also minibuses on hand to bring the residents wherever it is that they want to go - maybe a shopping trip to Kilkenny, maybe a rugby match in Dublin.

"I often hear from people of retirement age that they are simply not ready for a nursing home, " said Henry Burrows, estate director at Glendale. "They enjoy and are passionate about their own independent living. But some day down the line, they may need special care, either in an emergency situation or as a natural progression of their lives. By living in a retirement resort, with the security in place and the 24-hour nursing care, they can feel that they have not been left on their own."

There is also the question of quality of life. The costs of living in Ireland, and especially in Dublin, have meant that some retired people may be living in a property worth quite an amount of money, but their quality of life is simply not what it should be. But renting a property in a retirement resort could be the answer.

Unlike the sellers of some financial products, the management of Glendale is not interested in how a person finances the rental - and the prices for rental, considering what is included in the package, are very reasonable. So, for example, a retired person could rent out their own property, possibly for considerably more than they would have to pay in Glendale, and use that money to finance their lease. They will therefore have the opportunity to live in four star standard turnkey property in a gated community which is populated by similarly-aged people, without having to diminish the assets which they may have spent a lifetime building up.

Despite being tenants, the residents of Glendale will also have significant ownership of their lives.

Social programmes will be designed around what the people want, and overall, there will be a village feel, a community feel to Glendale. So while it is true that the retirement resort concept is a new one for Ireland, it is the quality of the resorts like Glendale which should bring the benefits of these developments home to the retired people of Ireland.