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‘Independent living’ suggests the focus is social rather than aged or physical support services.
You would need to look at the terms and conditions of each ‘property’ and ‘aged care facility offering ‘independent living’’ you are considering.
‘Retirement Villages’ are commercial projects offering social benefits but have many pitfalls, some discussed in this linked topic as well as in a related topic linked therein. Simplistically one buys in, pays a monthly fee similar to a strata to fund community facilities (halls, tennis, pool, etc), maintenance, and management. When exiting the ‘Village’ usually requires what can be a substantial further investment to upgrade the unit to reflect their current offer - it could be new A/C, appliances, paint, carpet, anything and any profit from a sale is shared between the ‘owner’ and the ‘corporation’.
Aged care facilities offer nursing care, assisted living, and independent living in the same overall facility that makes it easy to transition as additional care is required. The level of support is reflected by ‘independent’, ‘assisted’, and ‘nursing’.
