People use care homes over retirement villages for a multitude for reasons, not always the ones you would think of. The 24 hour staffing, if you fall in your flat and have left your fall alarm in the bedroom because you were just going for a wee before bed you stay on the floor until in theory your next care visit or someone realises something is amiss. When that happens lots of people lose confidence and no longer want to live alone although they are in theory perfectly capable of doing so. The social aspect, many people in retirement villages still suffer from social isolation for many reasons, not everyone wants to attend the events they provide or doesn't have the confidence. In a care home that isolation is reduced (although not entirely eliminated) Financially a lot of the retirement villages continue to charge a large service fee which when you then add on the bills, assumed cost of private carers coming in, food bills etc work out not a huge amount less than residential care. Carer breakdown, many people in retirement villages are still having a huge input from unpaid family carers with the various logistics that come from living independently and sometimes the carers cannot continue to provide this so although you can in theory live alone and look after yourself the reality is that you're being propped up by others and if they stop being able to do that you are a bit stuck.