Retirement Apartments

As a District Nurse I visited many of these complexes at both ends of the market and they suit a lot of people who enjoy the security. Recently out of curiosity for my own decrepitude I went to look at a McCarthy and Stone which was very nice but there was no storage at all, residents were not allowed to hang out washing, the service charge was very high and did not include a parking place. I asked 'where can I put my golf clubs?. 'Oh you will have given all that up was the answer'.
As to communal lounges you dont have to go in there. My MIL rarely went in except for lunch. She had a Housing Association flat and the mid day meal was provided and only minimal cooking (toast etc) in the flats - this suited her at 95 but wouldnt do for me. A lot depends on the style of accommodation, the price and your own tastes. I would say do a lot of research before committing to anything and ask for a trial period.

I thought about it myself but decided that I was forward thinking myself into being old. I think it can happen if youre a plan for the future type.

I’ve actually ended up in a house that needs renovation and I feel ten years younger. I can still do this stuff!

For me the time for a retirement apartment will be when I need it, not before.

Then I’ll appreciate what it has to offer instead of feeling restricted by it.

Thanks for your reply Teatime perhaps we are jumping the gun? Will look a lot more into this option, I was attracted by the lovely brand new modern apartments but as you say there is a lot more to consider.

I cant think of anything worse than a retirement apt. I think its better to have a mixture of all ages. I like to hear kids out playing. I dont mean this to be rude, but I find people who have all day with nothing to do and too much time on their hands, often become problem neighbours.

Never in a million years would we consider retirement apartments, they can work for some but they feel like gated, exclusive communities where you wait to die!

I know of several shared housing communities though where a mixed set of people gather. It seems like a better option to me, this link explains

cohousing.org.uk/

Please also consider some of the companies selling these properties stipulate that they have to be sold back to them at the price you paid or sold with a percentage of the sale value paid to them. This could work out to be very expensive.

Thanks all! Will alert DH! Perhaps will consider it at a later date! Nothing wrong with our house just thought of apartments as an investment as well as a secure place to live in old age.

Oh they’re definitely not an investment. There’s usually a buy back clause (around10% to the company but sometimes considerably more), they tend to lose value in proportion to the rest of the market and the maintenance fees are high.

If you can’t sell at a later date you will still have to pay council tax and maintenance. That could easily be over £20,000 a year.

I still think they’re a possibility for me when Im old and alone but definitely not an investment?

There are a couple of small lovely blocks of flats near to where we live. A neighbour moved into one, a few years ago, after being widowed. The flat wasn't new, but did have lots of storage, which many don't. She is very happy there.
Maybe, if you are considering downsizing, you could now take the time to research something like that, or a maisonette?
The restrictions would not be anything like the ones applied to purpose built retirement flats, I hope.

Thanks all you have successfully put us off the idea of a retirement apartment! Seriously we also found out that while advertising pets allowed, they then said only existing pet, then replacement would be discouraged, both partners 60+ while I thought just one was enough to qualify, communal lounge sounds like residential home to me, and your useful comments on how we would not be able to resell at a profit, put the final nail in the coffin! Will stay put for the time being, eventually could look at a 1 bed apartment not in a retirement complex!

I enjoyed reading this as we are still young and working(59-62) we have a big bungalow with a huge garden and I think now would be the time for developers to make mid fifties into there structure. We have friends who live in a apartment with a gym and a swimming pool now that’s my idea of different!

When my father died, my mother really wanted to downsize to a retirement apartment, I think living on her own she hated unsolicited knocking on the door, it made her jumpy. So I helped her do that and she was very happy there, right opposite the sea. The monthly charges were quite high, this was over 10 years ago now, something in the region of £180 I think. I can see where that money went there was a full time caretaker who lived on the premises, plus the common parts were very well maintained. After she died and we sold it, the management company took a percentage of the sale price, it was over a £1,000, cheeky b******s, they did nothing for that other than prepare an incy wincy bit of paperwork. However, it was what she wanted and it was her money. I'm glad she felt secure in the last years of her life. They seemed to have quite a lot of social events organised at her retirement accommodation, between there and her church, my mum was always doing something, I had to sandwich my visits in between her outings.

I'd love somewhere with a pool and gym, then I wouldn't have to drive there as I do now, sounds wonderful, not that I'm ready for a retirement apartment yet!

I think they can be a big comfort, my mother in law moved into one, and was very happy, quick walk to M&S, plenty of company, there were downsides, as someone said, limited storage, the bedroom window wouldn’t open at all, because it opened into a pathway.

It was all happy until she started to develop dementia, then the management became less than helpful, when she moved into a home she took an enormous loss on the price.

I’ve got a friend who moved into one recently, and she feels so much safer, she also likes the social side, there are activities every day, my idea of hell to be honest, but she loves it.

Yes possibly a good idea if one partner was left and didn't feel confident to live on his/her own, especially if no family nearby. Would also provide some socialising. Obviously you pay for the privilege and again not everybody's cup of tea.

I guess you get to a point where being safe and secure is more important than independence. I can see the attraction, but not sure it’s for me. Maybe one day.

Do NOT assume that because it sells as a "retirement" flat that any consideration at all has been put into being frailty or dementia friendly. You may "outgrow" a retirement flat sooner than a regular flat if down the line you get frailer!

"Normal" flats are often much more frailty-friendly.

E.g.s of ways I've seen retirement flats being totally unsutable for anyone who deteriorates even slightly:

Bathrooms are often tiny, and dont fit aids well like perch stools at the sink

Internal halls and doorways often smaller than standand and dont fit regular sized wheelchairs or wider walking frames

Gardens hard to access. Steps and trip hazards.

HEAVY fire doors in communal halls effectively trapping frailer/weaker residents in their homes if they dont have someone with them to help them with the doors

Space is at a premium in retirement flats: if you take your own standard sized furniture it becomes very cramped/narrow.

Not dementia friendly as no "landmarking" allowed under terms of leaseholds (e.g. you cant have a blue front door or a distinctive mat or door wreath)

Cramped bedrooms making it more challenging for carers

There are more

IMO downsizing is a good idea to do when you don't need to, rather than once you do and it becomes harder.

But IMO you'll find much more adaptable flats that'll serve you well if your needs change on the open market compared to many retirement flats I've seen.

Yes they are a bigger outlay, but fees etc are usually much lower, and you can sell without a big loss if you need to at any point.

In retirement flats the management company are thinking about the next sale on your flat as soon as you've bought it. So they can be pretty restrictive about you only using their approved firms if you want to change anything. Sometimes you have to do everything through them! I once visited a lady who was sold a garden flat but couldnt access the garden because the management company were dragging their heels about fixing her patio doors and uneven wobbly patio slabs, and she wasnt allowed to call in work people of het choice!

She paid extra for a garden flat.

Notanan

I agree, and in our experience, not very caring. When my mother in law started showing early signs of dementia, they were constantly ringing us and complaining about something, I think they worried it might be catching, or else a slightly forgetful old lady, wasn’t the image they were going for.

Ive also never seen a retirement flat with a decent amount of storage so you do tend to see baskets and piles of things on the floor which then cause problems if someone gets ill and a bit wobbly....

They do communal "activities" but individual hobbies are discouraged simply because there is no storage space for your own bikes, golf kit, craft kit, gardening tools. Kitchens barely fit the basics so hard to do any elaborate baking in. There is rarely any work/desk space within retirement flats, it's as if they think that all people over 55 need to do is sit in arm chairs or eat a meal alone at a small table: there's no hosting all the ILs for a big family lunch in those places!

I know I'm "going on" but what really bothers me about retirement flats is that people buy them in the hope that they can stay in them longer than they would another home, but the opposite is often the case!

Retirement flats are not adaptable!

A normal 2 bed flat: you can have a craft room, then make it a room for a lodger, then later a room for a live in carer.

You can re-arrange the kitchen if yoi need to sit to prepare food

You can make space for your rehab exercises if youre recovering for an op

Family can stay if you need someone there while you recover from illness

You can change it with your changing wants and needs

After the flat was sold, she didn’t even have enough to pay her nursing home fees for the years she was there, and she’d bought a garden flat, with a patio.

She definitely was very happy while she was there, but they were very keen to send her packing, once she started forgetting to lock doors, and admittedly once burning something which resulted in a visit from the fire brigade.

I have no worries where I am. A safe self-contained ground-floor flat which belongs to a housing association with support if needed. Affordable rent and some jobs at no extra cost. I have an emergency link line, again the cost is minimal for peace of mind if you're taken ill or happen to fall and a safe key where emergency services can enter if you're not able to let them in.
My particular flat has a patio door to the garden and my rotary washing line.

It doesn't matter how much or how little money you have. I sold a house when I came here in 2006 and have never looked back. Everything on one level and I feel so lucky to have such a place, which I appreciate immensely. My cats love it too. I don't need anything else.

I could never live in a communal and restrictive apartment. I don't mix too well and prefer my own company as well as that of the family of course. I speak to the neighbours when I see them and everyone keeps to themselves which is fine by me.

EllanVannin I like the sound of that! So it's the Housing Association where is at? More for when one of us will be left on our own.