I sent Jan the same link to the thread I forwarded to everyone, so once she finds it (and doesn't think it's spam
) she'll be along.
I would never go into residential care. I'd walk into the sea first.
Residential Home care here (at least for people like me) is enmeshed about with necessary Health & Safety rules which cover abso-flippin-lutely everything.
You cannot make yourself a cup of tea in case you inadvertently scald yourself. You are not allowed custody of your medication and you certainly can't just go out for a stroll on a nice day.
You are even discouraged from staying in your room as “that can lead to depression.”
And oh so much more. 
If you have savings or investments, Managed apartments or cottages to buy outright are an option and in NZ are mostly owned by the big international insurance companies such as BUPA, Rymans & Metlife. They allow more autonomy but for a price.
My friend's mother, having recently sold her home, bought into a Ryman complex of apartments with no attached Hospital, so if she's sick long-term, she'll be asked to move.
Her tiny apartment cost $1.2 million and as there’s no appreciation of assets, however long she stays, she (or her daughter) will only ever be entitled to what she paid for the flat. She pays an extra service charge for security, cleanliness of public areas and so on but if they organise trips, that's extra.
As all these insurance companies insist they sell the property for you or your estate, they make a tidy profit.
When Waitakere Gardens opened, a two-bedroom apartment was $135,000.
There are many advantages for those who can afford it: plus ça change 
So I count myself very lucky indeed that I am in a Salvation Army Independent Living unit.
There is no oversight or outings but we are totally independent as we would be in private accommodation.
Salvation Army are one of the biggest landowners in Aotearoa as, like the insurance companies, they began buying cheap land 30 or so years ago, in anticipation of this very lucrative market.
What it's like in Scotland I'd be very interested to discover Grammaretto.
Elders group today - none of whom are in residential care.
I've made a quiche as apparently the budget is empty.
