Retirement Flats

[sanman 10]

Just wanted to sound out the opinion of the forum as to what constitutes a retirement flat. I always though nice affordable housing with some form of warden and exclusive to people over a certain age.

 

I went into the sales office of the retirement flats being built at the bottom of Loxley Rd to enquire for my mother about prices etc. I was told that they start from £320 per week. Yes you read correctly start from £320 per week. I'm sure there would have been far more objections to them being built if people had known that this was the case.

 

Cheers

 

Mark

[Smiler 10]

There's a lot of effort going into developing new retirement accommodation in Sheffield. North British Housing Assoication have just opened a scheme in Norfolk Park. Others are due to be developed in Woodhouse, Shirecliffe and possibly Wincobank over the next 18 months. The rents on these places should be more affordable as they are Housing Association developments. There is also some for sale in Crookes and elsewhere.

 

This link might interest you. It will take you to the Elderly Acommodation Counsel who have a databse you can search for different accommodation for older people. My tip would be to be wary of much sheltered accommodation as the quality can be very poor - old fashioned buildings, shared bathrooms, bedsits, poor heating, etc. Some of the newer developments are impressive, though.

 

http://www.eac.org.uk/index_eac.html

[Tony 10]

That sounds like the right sort of price considering that it's a sheltered flat rather than just a bedroom in a nursing home. Elderly and retirement care is a very expensive business.

[Guest sat1983]

Can go up to £400 a week in Sheffield. So thats sound right. It is very expensive!!

[Smiler 10]

People living in retirement flats will usually be better off than people in care. Asuuming you are eligible for state support, you generally only get around £20 pw for personal items in a care home. In a flat - sheltered, supported, extra-care or one of a number of other names - residents can claim the benefits that they are generally eligible for. This often includes Housing Benefit to pay the rent. They may face more costs (eg their own utility bills) but typically a resident is better off. I would argue that they would generally have a better quality of life too.

 

If people are self-funders they are often better off too. If you buy a retirement flat and the property appreciates in value, the capital gain is yours. In residential care you have to pay all the costs until you have less than £20k in the bank.