Is this a big difference....

[citybythesea]

Here I go rambling.....but I do have a question. Being that I am in the Unites States and a lot of you are in the UK and Europe I have a question regarding "homes".

We have nursing homes which are very "clinical" unpersonal and like living in a hospital, but we also have assisted living homes which are apartments that open into a lobby (the area is actually the nurses station). The apartments are set up with living room, bath (with emergency chord phone), bedroom and partial kitchen (very small fridge, microwave, sink). I have an elderly friend who has moved himself and his wife into one of these as she has severe AD and he wants to take care of her.

Are these an option in your portion of our small universe?

We were talking and even he did not think that they were available in all parts of the states.

Just wondering and thinking how it could make life easier on older couples.

 

[Helena]

Sadly the kind of Assisted Living places you have the benefit of in the USA simply do not exist in the UK

We have some limited sheltered /warden assisted housing but they do not normally cope with AD patients

mostly its either carers be they paid or family or nursing homes or EMI units attached to hospitals

either way not really a true solution for the needs of an elderly population

 

[germain]

Hello citybythesea,


What we DO have are assisted living places run by a national housing charity which are almost "half way" houses for older people. OK - not many of them yet but hopefully are expanding !
They also run day centres on site.


Our Mum went into one of these last year. They provide living accomodation very much like the USA one you were describing but the added bonus is that they have carers on site who are employed as per the tenants needs. Tenants pay hourly for their services. The carers will provide help with personal care, domestic chores, shopping, banking, prompting medication etc.


Unfortunately they cannot at present provide secure living for dementia sufferers who are further down the line BUT they were starting training sessions for staff and carers just as our Mum was leaving.


We got our Mum into one of these schemes really too late to benefit but the potential for those in earlier stages is enormous. They do one and two bed places so couples can stay together.


There is also a wonderful place fairly local to us which sells apartments, then provides assisted living if required and then has a full NH on site. All the residents share top class facilities - perhaps this is the way forward ?


Helena - can PM you with name of the organisation if you would find it useful.



regards
Germain

 

[Skye]

I don't know of any here, but in Scunthorpe there was a care home with cottages attached. You had to buy the cottage, but then you could use the facilities of the CH, and move in when it became necessary. Of course, you then had to sell the cottage, but I believe there was always a waiting list.

I considered that for my mum, but in the end she moved into warden-controlled accomodation, which I felt was safer for her. She didn't have dementia, just old age!