Sheltered housing (privatly owned)

churchrat

hello all, don't often read this board, so please be gentle!!
I'm looking for advice regarding my cousin who is in his mid 50's and has a learning disability. We have been thinking that sheleterd accomodation, maybe a flat, would suit him perfectly but we know very little about a private (as oppsed to a LA run ) scheme.

Could anyone please give thier opinions of such accomodation? pitfalls, unseen expenses, managment charges etc?

What sort of questions should we be asking?
What do you think of the big providers, such as Peveral?
Any stories, experiences, thoughts would be much appreciated.:D

margaretclare

Peveral aka McCarthy & Stone? The words 'Bargepole - don't touch with' come to mind.

See this thread: http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/discuss/messageview.cfm?catid=15&threadid=3836&STARTPAGE=1

Chocolate80

I work with adults with learning disabilities so I thought I'd try and help. What sort of support does your cousin need? Solely support to prepare a meal or support with budgeting or personal care?

If I was you, I would contact the local CTPLD (Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities) to seek their advice.

If I can help further, please get in touch!

EdInvestor

The private schemes aren't very 'sheltered' - they just provide a warden on the premises (not usually 24/7)and some emergency bells and whistles.You would have to get and pay for a care package if you needed more personal care, shopping done, cooking, whatever.Much of this backup stuff you could provide yourself more cheaply in a well chosen normal property.

The service charges on some of these buildings are very high (see ongoing campaign against Peveral) and the properties themselves are not a very good investment IMHO.

Arguably there is a gap between the residential blocks with wardens and the full blown residential care home which is going unfilled as far as the private sector is concerned.

churchrat

Thanks for taking the time to reply, sorry I've not replied earlier but my pc does not like the cold!

My cousin can clean for himself, and keep himself clean and tidy. He can do his own shopping, although he buys things from the picture on the tins, so normaly buys branded foods, which tend to be more expensive. He finds cooking difficult, cannot understand a microwave, washing machine, hoover or boiler controls. He finds talking to strangers very difficult and does not understand how to use a telephone. I deal with all his finances, but he does work as a cleaner, with community support from the British Legion, who have been great.

Chocolate--thanks for the reply. I have contacted the local soc services about my cousin, (who is called T). They have said that they will only provide help if he is in "crisis", which he was when I started helping him. I have since found out that if I had not helped him then he would have been given a soc worker, but they will not now provide one. I have been arguing with them for some time, and although each person is sympathetic and helpful, they say they cannot provide support. Although, I was told that he would have fitted their criteria 2 years ago!!!!!!It makes me so cross because his mum decided to buy the council house so that he would always have somewhere to live. If she had not done that then he would get all sorts of help from the LA who offer a floating support service for people like T, but we cannot afford to pay for this. The LA who took over from the council will not take back the house, we have offered to gift it back, if they will take on his care, but this was refused.

We dont really care about investment/return as such, we just want to find him somewhere safe to live. He had some dodgy builders round last week who wanted to "fix" his roof. I had to deal with this on the phone--the police and trading standards were great, but it brings home how vulnerable he is.

We had thought that private sheltered accom would be an answer, but I have not heard anything positive.

Thanks again for your input, it all helps us to reach a decision.

churchrat

Errata

I understand that your cousin is doing supported work, but I wonder if he's eligible for DLA ? Perhaps this is something the Legion could sort out for him?
If successful he could then pay for a 'home help' to help him with the things he struggles with and again perhaps the Legion could find a suitable and trustworthy home help.
Have you contacted Mencap? They may be able to offer information/advice/suggestions.

churchrat

hi
yes he gets DLA. However, even with this and his wage he brings home about £850 per month. Out of this he pays for travel, council tax (25%reduction) utiliteis AND mortgage, because his mum didn't get herself life insurance on the policy. The dla helps to pay for an oyster card so that he can get the same bus each day and buy the same foods each week!

At the moment we manage, but he does not like living there. He is unable to look after the house and we cannot afford the repairs it now needs. I do not live near him and see him1-2xs per month. When he has a problem, eg dodgy builders, it can take me an hour to get there, after I finish work.
Mencap were helpful when we applied for dla and have put us in touch with some local groups, the BL only deal with work issues.

Its the long term we are trying to deal with--he is a single man who is in his 50's and is "odd". The local kids taunt him and call him names, local people have dumped stuff in his back garden and have stolen things from his shed. A woman who befriended him took all the furniture his mum bought just before she died.
He does not want to move away from the area, just away from the house. I am thinking that we may just get a flat in an ordinary block, but I liked the idea of having someone on site.

thanks again for all the replies
cr

Savvy_Sue

churchrat wrote: »

council tax (25%reduction)

Now, I have no idea if your cousin would fall into this category, but the other day I was at the council offices telling them that my mum is now a single occupant following the death of my dad, so please could she have her 25% discount.

The lady there was very delicately enquiring whether my mum had any mental problems, because apparently if you do, in some circumstances you don't have to pay any council tax at all.

Hopefully someone - or even MenCap - can advise on the situations where this is relevant.

Next point is that I think Social Services are in breach of their statutory duty to your cousin. I think he has a RIGHT to have his care needs assessed, and arising from that they may have a duty to meet his needs, even if the care package he needs is means-tested. I could be wrong, someone more knowledgeable will say if I am.

Final point is that even though he wouldn't get very far on any 'normal' allocation for council / social landlord housing because he owns his own home, it may be that there are sheltered schemes for which he could be considered, although he would then have to sell the house. When I worked for a housing association we did have some sheltered schemes which were not over subscribed, and we could accept people who either had their own homes or had sold their own homes and therefore had capital behind them.

churchrat

hi
thanks for that, SSue. I think that each council runs things to its own rules. He can only get the 25%off, to get more he would have to have some physical problems as well.

He HAS been assessed--they said that he was not "in crisis" and so did not meet the criteria needed to qualify for care. If I stopped helping him he would eventualy be "in crisi", but I don't think I can allow him to fall that far.

As for the sheltered housing--it is a dream outcome to get him into a council run scheme. We would give all his money from the house sale if the LA would agree to take over his care, but his local LA's have all refused. Do you know if he can apply to LA's in other areas? We would prefer that he stays where he grew up, but would move him if there were no other option.

many thanks