Options for housing my elderly mother

Mojisola

Rodders53 wrote: »

Search for places that can demonstrate units for 'hands on' experience by Mum.

Or, if none can be found locally, have an assessment.

My Mum was assessed at an Independent Living Partnership - the assessor made us aware of the motorised swivel seat that Rodders mentioned and also that Mum would need the paddle style of control rather than the small joystick that many stairlifts have.

kingfisherblue

Also check to see if any social housing providers are building bungalows. We have a fair amount of privately owned bungalows where I live (I was brought up in one, and my mum still lives there), but I have also seen an increase in one and two bedroomed bungalows being built by the largest social housing group in my area - mainly for elderly and/or disabled people. Obviously they are in demand, but I don't think that they are exclusively for those already in council accommodation.

IAmWales

lincroft1710 wrote: »

My father moved into a bungalow when he was 86. Retirement properties such as those built by McCarthy and Stone (other developers are available) are suitable for those with limited mobility, they are not care homes.

Stairlifts are a possibility, but are not cheap. If the house is too large for her anyway, this would only be a partial fix. She may be eligible for warden controlled local authority or housing association bungalow/flat.

Keep away from McCarthy and Stone, absolute rip off merchants. Their properties are overpriced (although you might get a bargain from someone desperate to offload), you'll pay a hefty service charge every month and when you sell, they take a percentage.

Avoid!

Cakeguts

Try the local council. Some councils don't have a waiting list for single person warden controlled retirment flats.

luvchocolate

Check out local housing associations for over 60's property I had to wait 2 years but was not a priority.
It appears you mother would be a priority.

Robin9

My MIL is 96 and adamant that she will stay in her house - she was widowed 16 years ago. She has resisted any suggestion of a move and I think it's really too late - so much upheaval, decisions to make .........

She's bad on her pins, poor eyesight and hearing. But well supported by neighbours without whom she would really struggle.

She's on her second chair lift - it goes up and around bends, changes levels - supplied - £5000 ? - by an independent supplier. Not without its issues - breakdowns.

I would suggest your Mum stays where she is - look at all the safety things - take advice from Age UK.



Does your Mum have a panic alarm ?

sparky130a

Robin9 wrote: »

But well supported by neighbours without whom she would really struggle.

And that's what matters.

It is the absolute key to the issue.

Fosterdog

Are there any changes that could be made to her house to make it easier for her to live on one floor?

When my grandmother started to struggle but didn't want to leave her home she had a small bathroom fitted downstairs and as she had two reception rooms turned one into a bedroom meaning she could live completely on the ground floor. She was lucky to live on the flat with no steps to get into the house or garden. The cost of the bathroom was probably more than a stairlift would be but all of her children chipped in and spread the cost between them to help her out, she lived to 92 and stayed in the house until the end.

AnotherJoe

sparky130a wrote: »

... And the rest!

Try £1300 and that's before install.

So, trivial compared to the cost of moving.

moneyistooshorttomention

AnotherJoe wrote: »

So, trivial compared to the cost of moving.

My cost of moving recently was about what I'd anticipated - ie around £9,000. That was moving from a starter house to current house (at cheaper price).

So - yep....even £5,000 spent on a stairlift would still come in much cheaper than moving.

That's not counting money spent on work on new house - there's bound to be some (unless it's brand new - and maybe even then).

Add the disruption factor. I would imagine the disruption of having a stairlift fitted is relatively minor and over in a few days. The disruption of moving to another house means doing whatever work one decides to do on that house (which could be one heck of a lot of disruption - ie going on for literally years before the house is up to modern-day standards. Voice of experience time:().

Even down to the very minor bits of disruption of working out all the little "bits and pieces" of different ways one lives most efficiently in another house - all those little things like which possessions one now chucks out on the one hand/buy on the other hand. Working out where one keeps various different possessions - you wouldnt believe just how many times I had, for instance, to play "hunt my doorkeys" whilst having loads of initial work done on the house because of the amount of chaos it was in. All the extra housework created by unavoidable work on house/workmen not giving a **** about creating extra work/etc whilst work is done on the house.

Even moving bedroom stuff down to a downstairs room and gutting a bathroom must count as a lot less disruption than moving imo.

Add the getting to know a new neighbourhood (even if its still in the vicinity - it will take a bit of doing).