Innovative new approach to extra care
It’s a dilemma that many elderly parents caring for a disabled child will have to face sooner or later – what will happen to their precious charge should they become too ill or infirm to cope any longer? Who will look after their adult child after they are gone?
Of course, it’s a similar dilemma to that faced by those who care for a husband, wife or partner suffering from dementia. What happens when they, too, need help and assistance as the years advance? Will one have to go into care while the other struggles on at home alone? Who will take over should the carer die first, as so often is the case?
Well, new thinking among the providers of care facilities is offering a fresh approach that could help lift the burden for those who worry about what the future might hold. Across East Anglia, extra care housing projects are now being built that not only include one-bedroom flats for elderly people, either singles or couples, but also a number of two bedroom flats in which an elderly parent can continue caring for a disabled child.
Not only can the parent call upon whatever assistance they need as they themselves get older and more infirm, but they also have the assurance that, after they are gone, their child can continue to live and be cared for in surroundings with which they are already familiar, comfortable and happy, among people they know.
In the meantime, residents can be as independent as they wish. “By keeping their independence, they feel they are in control of their lives, which can be a great boost,” explains Trish Barton, scheme manager at Steeple View, an extra care housing project in the Suffolk village of Stowupland, near Stowmarket.
What’s more, at Steeple View, there’s no age limit. “Our oldest resident is 98, while the youngest is 34,” says Trish. “The different age groups make a much better community. People do get on, they complement each other.” In the case of a married couple, where one is suffering from dementia while the other may be perfectly fit, they can both move in together in the knowledge that assistance is always on hand when needed, adds Trish.
Steeple View, with 36 flats for rent, was completed about three years ago in partnership with the social services, Mid-Suffolk District Council and Orwell Housing Association, which today runs the scheme. There are 28 one-bedroom flats, including a wide hallway to cope with wheelchairs, a spacious living room, large bathroom/wet room and kitchen, as well as eight two-bedroom flats available to elderly parents with a disabled child, or perhaps a couple of elderly friends, who want to continue sharing, but can no longer cope on their own at home.
“At the moment we have 41 residents. Some are receiving housing benefits, while others have sold their homes and are renting a flat here,” explains Trish. Care facilities are available 24 hours a day for those who need it, either because of physical disability, learning difficulties, infirmity or dementia. There are also call buttons in all the rooms, so that help can be summoned in an emergency. “We have a staff of 38, mostly parttime including a gardener and handyman,” says Trish.
Steeple View is a sprawling, modern building, overlooking Stowupland’s extensive playing fields and the village’s tree-lined recreation ground. A view of the village church, with its pretty spire, provides the name. The building is light, open and airy, with wide corridors and spacious reception areas including a large communal lounge/dining area with French windows opening on to a paved courtyard, where residents can sit and enjoy the sun.
Well tended gardens, including a wildlife pond and extensive walkways, surround the building and residents can potter about securely. Adjoining the main lounge is a large, communal kitchen, where those who don’t want to cook and eat on their own can prepare a meal, with staff assistance if required, and share it with friends in the dining area.
There is also four other smaller, more intimate lounges, one with computer, jigsaws and books, another for games and two for simply “chilling out” and chatting. Each of these lounges has its own mini-kitchen for tea and coffee making. There is even a hotel-like guest suite, so visiting friends or family can stay overnight.
The residents’ association organises a full calendar of activities, including exercise and craft sessions, DVD evenings, quizzes, cream teas, fish and chip suppers and even Wii games, to name but a few. Fundraising within Steeple View helps pay for, or subsidises, activities and outings.
