Over 55communities

Frank's right. The independant living complex where my mother lived expanded to include appartments for the over 55s. The main car park served both units but it soon became impossible for relatives of the elderly and infirm in the original bit to find a parking place because some of the new flats were lived in by couples with a car each. I often had to lug shopping and laundry quite a distance from the main road because all the parking spaces were taken by residents who had walked to work.

It was taken up at a residents' meeting because a lot of family members felt that the over 55s were just milking the benefits. Naturally we were not including the disabled residents in our complaints but they had designated parking areas anyway.

Most people go into this type of accommodation, not because there is nothing they would like more than living in such a community but because they are beginning to find it difficult to manage independently, need more help than they previously did and possibly are feeling alone and isolated after the loss of a spouse.

Fit and well with all my faculties, a community like this is not for me, but as I said if one of us had dementia to live somewhere with help on call 24 hours a day, with any other regular help also available on site plus the having a care home on site so that if one of us is in care the other is close by to visit.

I never say never, often things one hates and dismisses with scorn in one circumstance one suddenly sees the point of when circumstances change.

I think it would be quite good if you were on your own. I'd just need somewhere to keep my bike. And I would have to discourage long chats when I was reading in the communal gardens. Apart from that, can't see it would be different from any other flat really.

I would not like to live in a development for the over 55's and be surrounded by just old people.
Another thing to be cautious about is the cost.
I have a friend in New Oscott Village and he paid £220,000 for his flat.
As well as the service charge he loses 1% of the capital for every year he is there and he loses the interest on the money.
If he wants to leave or if he dies the flat has to be sold back to the village.
Another thing to take in to account is there are people who still work in these villages.
He has a nurse each side of him and 1 goes out at 5am and the other at 6am.
They are both due to retire in the next 3 years but there are elderly gentlemen in their mid 90's opposite who will have to be leaving at some point in the future.
There may be future people in to these flats who may be working and these people could be disturbing him early in the morning again.

Frank

I'd hate the idea of a closed community of older people - hearing and seeing children around is good for us!

At 82 I hate the thought of an 'over 55s' development.
I live in a close of 17 terraced houses .There are 9 children age 2 to 16.Adults age 30 to 70 .I am the oldest resident and my neighbours are very friendly and helpful.-bus stop and station,lake and fields nearby.
Only other thing I'd wish for would be a sea view. - and no barking dogs!!

60 seems awfully young to start moving in with old people. When I take my GS to school I never feel that different from the mothers I chat to there apart from the fact that I don't have to go to work. I'm hoping that if I do get left on my own either my son will move in with his girlfriend and baby or I can join up with my daughter and her family and we can buy somewhere bigger. My son talks enticingly of us moving back to Cornwall

The typical purchaser of a sheltered Over 55 flat is a widow in her late 70s. The age profile of many of these developments, but not necessarily all, is older and infirm.

DH and I have decided that we would consider one of these developments if one of us developed dementia. Our children both live 100 miles away or more and it would take a lot of worry off their shoulders. We would choose a Care Village where there is a care home on site as well as flats and houses and where care can be bought in as required.

We are both 70 this year and very fit and well so no way would we consider that sort of move at present.

if there's one for sale when I finally retire. The only thing missing is a sea view!

About 15 miles I should think.

How far is Hereford from Quedgley Glos?

It's in the grounds of Belmont Abbey Galen - I used to work there, as the other side of the grounds is given over to health service offices. It is a lovely setting and close to town.

I would hate to be living with only older people and I have a feeling most of them will be well over 60 and you will be the youngster. If, however, you have a reason to need assistance it might be worth considering.

We were older than you when we retired here and it was suggested by a friend that we bought a bungalow but we didn't feel old enough for that let alone and old peoples' residence.

Do you know, I'm tempted by that one!

Not all of these developments are flats and bungalows - these tend to be for the elderly.

There are some for over-50s that are ordinary houses, e.g. this one that has 4 bedrooms: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-40400705.html

There are 2 retirement phases really and some of these developments take that into account. And some over-50's developments are kept as that simply because the developers do not want children and teenagers romping about.

Having said that, there is nothing I would hate more than being in a one-generational setting. I like to hear children running about! But - horses for courses.

Far too much like having one foot in the grave.

If and when I move I think I would like to go somewhere with a good mix of ages. I have always thought of "retirement villages" as more or less ghettos for the elderly. I can't imagine having my windows open on a hot summers day like today and not hear children laughing and playing.

Having said that I do know of someone who moved to a retirement village and loves it (this is in Australia), she is a very gregarious woman and has more or less jollied everyone else into doing things other than sit and watch TV!

Looking at jane's comment, I do agree that considering this sort of development is perhaps a bit early, particularly as you say you are "young at heart". I'm 63, and I don't think I would consider such a move at this stage in my life.

Also, the reported difficulties in selling (which may cause problems for either me or my family) would put me off.

A year or so ago I was looking at retirement flats for my Mum (who was then 90)so that she could come and live near me. In the end, she couldn't face the idea of getting rid of most of her furniture and decided against it.

The sorts of properties she was looking at were one or two bedroomed flats in warden assisted developments. There was a monthly maintenance charge of, I think, around £80-£120. The flats she saw were quite small and all of them have similar layouts and fixtures and fittings - making them feel a bit old fashioned and "institutionalised". However, some developments are nicer than others - the ground floor flats in one development we saw had patio doors onto a small, private garden area, which was rather attractive. There is usually a laundry room with washing machine/tumble drier, and a residents' lounge, though these lounges didn't seem to be used very much.

I did look at the internet to find if there were comments regarding these retirement properties. Many of the comments were quite negative - the flats were apparently very difficult to sell (eg, if a person's health fails and he/she has to go into a home). They cannot be rented out to someone else and maintenance charges still need to be paid even if the owner is not living in the flat. I believe some companies also take a percentage of the sale price when a property is sold. There were also complaints about what some considered were excessive increases in maintenance charges.

I can see that the idea of having some sort of support as one gets older might be attractive, and not having external repairs to worry about as these are covered by the maintenance charge. However, wardens have only limited duties - mostly administrative - and do not provide individual support. On the plus side, there is obviously better security in such a development and the reassurance of knowing that all of your neighbours are older and not likely to be difficult or create a disturbance.

I would suggest you read up about it on the internet and also look at comments made by people living in these developments. You could also go and have a look at a few developments to see if such a scheme would suit your needs and try to speak to some residents. If you look at the Rightmove website, you can tick the box for "retirement properties" and maybe make an appointment to view one that is for sale. Obviously, if you decided to go ahead, you would need to talk through the contractual conditions with a solicitor and get his/her advice.

There are some very upmarket retirement "villages" that look really nice - but they are very expensive.

In Chingford, near to where I live, there is also a development where older people can rent a self-contained flat. The development also contains lots of amenities such as a restaurant and a hairdressers. It seems to be very popular. This would have suited my Mum but they have an upper age limit of, I think, 75.

I think it would feel like the beginning of the end for me.
I realise that's not entirely rational, but I think the decision about where to live should be based on other things than whether it's a development specifically for over 55s.
Eg where do you want to live? What's important - to be near family, friends, shops, town, seaside, countryside?
Do you want to live in a flat and not have a garden?