Sneha KC is Independents for Canberra candidate for Yerrabi.

As a nurse and Independents for Canberra candidate for Yerrabi in the ACT election, I’ve spent my career advocating for those who don’t have a voice.

Our seniors weigh heavily on my mind. They deserve better transparency when choosing where to live. That’s why I believe it’s time we introduce a star rating system for retirement villages – one that prioritises people’s safety, dignity, and quality of life.

When we buy appliances or food, we rely on star rating systems to guide our choices. Yet, when it comes to something as important as where our loved ones will spend their later years, families are left navigating a confusing landscape without clear, comparable information. An independent rating system for retirement villages will ensure our senior citizens are treated with respect and have access to the best possible living environment, supporting their independence, safety, medical care, and quality of life.

We have already seen the benefits of a star rating system in residential aged care facilities. Families can easily compare homes based on factors like staffing, safety, and resident satisfaction. This transparency has driven improvements in aged care and empowered seniors and their families to make informed choices. It begs the question: why don’t we have the same system for retirement villages?

Currently, the Australian Retirement Village Accreditation Scheme (ARVAS) sets important standards for village operations, but it doesn’t offer the consumer-friendly clarity that a star rating system would provide. ARVAS accreditation tells you a village meets certain benchmarks. It doesn’t, however, provide a comparative view of the living environment, amenities, or residents’ satisfaction. That’s the gap a star rating system will fill.

For me, this issue is deeply personal. As a nurse, I’ve spent years caring for seniors, seeing their fears and frustrations as they navigate this complex system. I’ve watched families struggle to make sense of marketing materials or rely on word-of-mouth recommendations. These decisions are often made under pressure and in moments of vulnerability. Our seniors deserve better.

A well-designed star rating system would do more than just inform families; it would push retirement villages to continuously improve. Facilities would be incentivised to deliver better living environments and services, knowing their ratings would directly impact their reputation. This system will drive accountability and promote higher standards across the board, just as we’ve seen in residential aged care.

I understand that creating such a system will take effort and collaboration. It will require input from the government, industry stakeholders, and most importantly, the community. Independents for Canberra’s Strata Commissioner, which would also have the largely unregulated retirement village sector within its remit, could be responsible for leading this process.

Any rating system must be independent, fair, and regularly updated to reflect real-world conditions. I’d support a pilot program to test this approach, ensuring that the criteria are clear and relevant. Beyond safety and staffing, the ratings should reflect quality of life factors like social support, mental wellbeing, and community engagement, which determine the quality of residents’ day-to-day lives.

At its core, this is about giving our seniors the respect they have earned. I’ve seen too many seniors slip through the cracks in a system that lacks transparency and accountability, and I believe we can do better. The decision about where to live in later life shouldn’t be a gamble; it should be an informed choice, backed by clear and independent information. A star rating system for retirement villages would bring transparency, accountability, and dignity to the process, helping families make compassionate, informed choices for their loved ones.

As an independent, I’m not tied to party lines or political interests. It’s time to make this a priority. Our seniors deserve nothing less. I’m running because I want to see real change for the people of Canberra.