helping seniors live well in later life

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Tag: Later Life

  • Be part of a community

    Be part of a community

    So you’ve retired!  Many people look forward to this so that they can spend time with their grandchildren, go on holiday, visit art galleries and enjoy more of their hobbies.

    For others, the thought of giving up work is stressful and they worry about the lack of interaction with others and how to spend their time. 

    Of course it’s a good idea to have a rest and some relaxing time immediately after retiring, but if you don’t have a purpose or specific things to do, your health, both mental and physical, will suffer.

    It’s really important to have a purpose, be part of a community and have a schedule.   Some people get a dog as it means they have to get up and walk it!  That gives them a purpose and a schedule.  Others volunteer for charities or at schools, giving them purpose, community and a schedule.   You’ll find many local groups for retired people and some even start for the over 50s.   You could begin a hobby that you have always been meaning to do.

    If you fancy joining our online group for those retired, from 10am on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month, get in touch and we’ll book you in!

    Or meanwhile, have a read of our piece about community written for AfterCloud, here. 

  • Silver Sunday

    Silver Sunday

    It’s Silver Sunday on 6th October.  Silver Sunday is a national day where people of all generations can come together by hosting fun and free activities for older people. It is a day to meet new people, visit new places, try new activities and connect with local communities and other generations.

    As last year, we are hosting an event on Saturday 12 October at St Mary and St John the Divine, Balham, SW12 9BS, with board games and lunch.  It’s free to join in and there will be a chance to find out how to organise your photos with www.clearbubble.co.uk and get your photo taken with www.rosalindfurlong.com  To find out more and to book, click here.  

    If you want to find what else is on in your area have a look here https://silversunday.org.uk/calendar/

  • Dealing with your loved one’s possessions after death

    Dealing with your loved one’s possessions after death

    When someone passes away it can be a very traumatic time for family and friends, even if the death was expected, and dealing with a loved one’s possessions can be a very emotional task.   Once any items in the will have been distributed, you can ask other family and friends if there is anything they want.  If there are more valuable items in the property they may fall into the estate to be valued, and so it is important that you follow the solicitors’ instructions for disposing of or sharing out those items.  Once that is done you may still be able to sell items, and so we recommend contacting auction houses and / or antique dealers who you know and trust, to help get you the best price.  After that we recommend looking at things in the following order:

    • Other furniture to sell, either on Ebay, Gumtree or through Facebook groups or marketplace
    • Furniture to give to charity or give away.  If a charity won’t take items you may be able to give them away using Olio, Gumtree or again, local Facebook groups or marketplace
    • Small items are best to go straight to charity, but not all shops take everything so check individually
    • Specialist items from hobbies may be of value to a collector even if they have no monetary value, so you might find someone online
    • Keep papers aside to be shredded if not needed for the legal process.  Get a shredding company to collect, or you can drop off
    • Use a waste collector or skip at the end.

    Or, if you want to save time, you can engage a house clearance firm to do all of the above for you.

  • What is Careline?

    What is Careline?

    Careline is a personal alarm service used throughout the care industry to help people live independently.  Most people have a pendant or watch device which is remotely attached to a phone line and can dial when you press the pendant to alert loved ones, or call a carer or the emergency services, depending on how it is set up.  There are also more sophisticated versions which can be worn as watches, and can detect automatically if you fall. This is also the case with certain versions of Apple Watches.  Technology is changing all the time and all sorts of other devices to monitor you or your loved ones to ensure safety are out there.

    You can read more about Careline here www.careline.co.uk or contact your local council or Age UK who can also advise.

  • Community help in retirement

    Community help in retirement

    Not everyone has friends and family nearby to help them in retirement.  However, there are other resources available to help:

    • Age UK  https://www.ageuk.org.uk/ is a UK-wide charity which has various support options available including footcare, shopping, handyman, driving, lunches and activity centres.   All these services differ from area to area so check with your local Age UK office.
    • u3a  https://www.u3a.org.uk/ gives you opportunities to develop your interests, make new friends and have fun with special interest groups; they differ area to area.
    • Your local areas will also have other specific community groups.  Two such in Wandsworth are:
    1. Furzedown Project https://www.furzedownproject.org/ which is an activity and social hub for anyone over 50.
    2. WOPF – https://www.wopf.org.uk/ who have speakers once a month and campaign for older people in the borough.

  • Deciding to move into a care home

    Deciding to move into a care home

    Making the decision to go into a care home is never an easy decision.  In-home care is a great alternative, but it doesn’t work for everyone.  If you need to go into a care setting these are some things to look for when assessing the options:

    • Activities –  if you love singing, but they don’t do this, will they add it?  If you love art and can no longer get to exhibitions, do they do something to cater for this?  Have a look at the breadth of activities and whether they suit you.
    • CQC rating – the Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.   You should look for a good or outstanding rating. 
    • Is it close to the people who will visit you the most? If those people travel by public transport, is it near a station or bus route?
    • Does it look and smell clean? Or is it rather utilitarian?
    • Does it seem like a place you could call home, or just somewhere for a temporary stay?
    • Are the staff friendly when you visit?
    • Do you have specific care or nursing needs, and can they meet those needs?
    • Can you afford it?  Don’t forget to have a talk with a financial adviser or eldercare consultant to see if there is anything you haven’t thought of which would help you with the cost.   

    Ultimately, if you need help to decide where is best for you, then we can put you in touch with an eldercare consultant who can help.

  • Why might you want to move in later life?

    Why might you want to move in later life?

    We help many different types of people move home, not just older people. Most of our older people are downsizing because they recognise their home is the wrong size or type for them and their lifestyle. But we do get older people who move to a different area and they don’t always downsize when they do that. Just because you are older doesn’t mean you have to downsize when you move. You can take everything with you to another home the same size but in a different location, or one that is laid out in a different way.

    So what are the reasons to move area later in life?

    ·       To see more of your children and grandchildren

    ·       To get help from your children and grandchildren

    ·       To be less isolated, if you are currently living somewhere with poor infrastructure

    ·       To access medical treatment that isn’t available where you live

    ·       To live somewhere you have always wanted to live (e.g by the sea)

    ·       To be close to other family members

    ·       To be nearer a specific friend or hobby

    Whatever your reason for moving and whatever your age we can get you started on the journey!

  • Attendance allowance

    Attendance allowance

    Have you heard of Attendance Allowance? 

    It is a government benefit that helps with extra costs if you are over state pension age and need someone to help look after you.

    It might be that you feel you don’t need financial support now, but it is a non-means tested benefit, and it might be something that you could be very pleased you have in the future if you need to pay for carers or a stair-lift, for example.  Or it could be something you could use now to pay for taxis if you can no longer drive or get public transport, or if you need help with cleaning or meal preparation.

    Most importantly, Attendance Allowance helps you remain independent for as long as possible.  Our friends at Grey Matters Consultancy are experts in claiming this.  Why not head over to their website and find out more, or we can put you in touch with them.

    https://www.grey-matters-consultancy.com/services/attendance-allowance

  • Having a community around you

    Having a community around you

    Many things I’ve read and heard recently herald the importance of having a community around you as you get older.  Those living in isolation tend to live shorter, less happy lives.  A community can be friends and neighbours or people you see all the time.  Here are some examples of community or places where you can find communities in your local area:

    These places will keep you smiling and ensure you are keeping your brain active and, in several of the above, your body too.

    If you don’t know where to find a community near you, your local council should have a list so get in touch with them.

  • Planning for the inevitable

    Planning for the inevitable

    The inevitable will happen to all of us and it’s good to get planning and talking about it before we go.  The inevitable might be that your attorneys need to act for you or help you during your lifetime or it might be information for your executors when you die.  There are some great resources available and we wanted to let you know of the ones we like:

    For attorneys and executors

    Peace of Mind Planner – a comprehensive workbook to fill in containing details that anyone dealing with your estate would like to know about https://amzn.eu/d/8NaEsOY

    Life Manual from https://www.grey-matters-consultancy.com/life-manual/ another, smaller, workbook in which to record your details.

    If you are a client of St James’s Place Partnership they also have a similar manual which you can fill in.

    For executors and useful in advance to start planning

    White Balloon https://www.whiteballoon.co.uk/ a resource for life’s end from funeral directors to florists, counsellors and musicians and much more.

    Using the information from the life manuals above, you can close, freeze or transfer all of your loved one’s accounts from one place, for free.  You can also set it up in advance. https://lifeledger.com/

    Planning doesn’t have to be sad or morbid, it ensures that you make life easier for your loved ones and that your wishes are respected when you are gone.