Planning care into your life
14/05/2009
Staying in our own home for all our lives might be an ideal for many of us. But sometimes that’s just not practical. Millions of us reach the point where we need a level of care input on a daily basis. Now that may be deliverable in our own homes, or it may be best provided in a care home context.
But a very interesting ‘half way house’ option which suits many people is to move to a dedicated retirement development where a care package can be tailored to your needs – usually provided by a nearby or on-site care home.
The packages offered at Littlecombe Park, near Dursley in Gloucestershire are a good example. On the site there is ‘The Hollies’ - a beautifully-equipped 55 bed care home; and anyone living just a short walk away in the luxury ‘Woodlands’ retirement apartments can have a care package provided by The Hollies staff.
It’s a very straightforward option which will have a lot of appeal to those who want to retain as much independence as possible – but have care reassuringly on hand. “Our needs will almost inevitably change as we get older,” says the care home manager Jenny Martin. “And this is a seamless way to cope with that.
“If one person has a significant care requirement, they can always come across and spend some time with us in the Hollies – giving their partner the opportunity to have a few days’ respite.”
When this point in our lives is reached, owning a property is not always the best option – especially if there is a chance that you will, at some point in the future, need to go into full time care.
The Woodlands has dealt with that by offering their apartments to rent as well as buy. “You can sell your existing property and live off the proceeds,” says Littlecombe Park owner Jonathan Hawkins. “Or – in today’s difficult market – you might want to rent that house out and use that income. Our approach to prospective new residents is to be as flexible as possible: we recognise everyone has different circumstances to deal with.”
You can find out more about Littlecombe Park by asking for a brochure on 0800 980 2171 or go to the website below.