This is a continuation of my previous post, which looked back to our earliest thinking about extra care housing at Princethorpe Court, which opened its doors in 1986. That then was later followed by a much larger scheme which embodied the same ideas but was called Berryhill Village. It opened in 1998, with 148 flats and a wider range of communal facilities.
ExtraCare Charitable Trust was set up in 1987/88 to provide for frailer residents who were languishing in hospitals unable to be looked after in their own homes and too frail to move to Residential care homes. A situation which continues to this day! In conjunction with Coventry Health Authority we started to develop Nursing Homes. This is a whole separate story, but its relevance is that it gave us a much better understanding of the support needed by some elderly people in later life, especially dementia. This had a significant influence on our later development and staffing of Retirement Villages .
In the next eight years, we went on to develop and manage more ExtraCare schemes with Coventry Churches Housing Association ( later called Touchstone ) and also to open more nursing homes in Coventry and elsewhere with other Health Authority’s.
But the breakthrough into Retirement Villages came after the opening of Berryhill. Initially with an aborted village project at Abbey Park in Coventry and then with a bigger project ( 243 flats) at Ryefields in Warrington. This was an all singing, all dancing housing for sale and for rent with a full range of care and support and a comprehensive package of communal facilities.
It began a whole new generation of villages which explored the key features of ACTIVITY, HEALTH, SUPPORT and FINANCE.
You can find the thinking behind these issues by clicking on “ Community Retirement Villages “ in the TAG cloud.
ExtraCare Charitable Trust has gone on to develop many villages using this approach. Elements of the model have been copied in the private retirement field, but to a much more upmarket sector. Sadly the public sector has largely given up on this type of provision because of the lack of grant funding.
All of which underlines the importance of answering the question:-
“Is the model of Retirement Village developed at Lovat Fields sustainable financially, if the average of the residents continues to increase ( to90 )?”
.
GrumbleSmiles 
wonderful, what an eye opener of our pursuers of living to an old age? to be part of the thinking and actions is a life;s dream!!!!!
Whow ee!!!
Just a moment of your time, please! While I pass some thoughts.
I have challenged ‘Dear John’ to a few moments of his life’s work within the elderly ways of living, in retirement villages and schemes. The philosophy and ethos of the: ‘The EXTRACARE Charities Trust of Coventry’ is excellent, and I now throw a pebble in the pond: Am I right to do so? I just wonder?
You inform me, or tell me.
In the back ground I Have read and reread the subjects as listed By John in his ‘Tag Clouds’ a long read but over the past days an interesting one for me personally.
My personal thoughts, for a penny 1d. I trust I am not disrespectful?
Quote
One has to decide upon retirement, age say mid 70 years of age, what one wishes for one’s self and ones spouse/partner/wife. IT is not just tomorrow, but when there is just one of you that survives? Have you, both of you picked the right life style, and will you as far as one can see have the financial savings to continue, within the life style envisages at retirement???
IN THE BACKGROUND OF THESE DECISIONS is the Government of the day, and their philosophies, and acts of parliament for the good of the nation, such as today we have the ‘Faltering NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE- which when I was younger was a service for every one in need of heath care, and support for medical conditions-regardless of income provide one was british and had paid/ was paying ones UK Taxes.
There again the government gave support to charities who helped those on the breadline with donations to these charities.
These were, I believe the major points, which help me/us make my/our personal decision to actively select a Charity such as ‘THE EXTRACARE CHARITIES TRUST, Coventry’ and their concept of a typical retirement village.
My wife and I had to balance carefully the terms and conditions on offer at the time in 2007, as we engaged to become residents of the retirement village residing as leaseholders. [We have not regretted this decision].
What concerns me today August 2024, is the changing political world within the UK, especially England. The National health Service, the Immigration policy, housing policy for all concerned- THE MEDIA are reporting all sorts of what I may call mayhem!! It is a long way from my community in which I grew up in Leeds { Traditional-Christian/mainly white and a mixture of council rental tenants and mortgage holders of semi detached familly housing, and schooling in a council primary/middle and upper school, if one had the fortunate opportunity/ability a grammer school. I was aware of students/friends who excelled in the 11+ examinations from our neighbourhood going to a private/public school as a reward for their excellent school exam and 11+ results.
At this time there were no problems with race relationships in my neighbourhood- [today and being 81 years, my close relationships with minority coloured communities, is one of concern, not of colour but one of religion and beliefs, should I be forced/requested to forgo my christain beliefs and ethos for the consideration of dominance of another belief. I have an open mind and would wish to show every other person/friend/resident complete respect and consideration for a safe and happy future,
The politics and media of today scream about disjointed societies, within the UK and I trust It will turn out to be a surmountable set of problems. ALL this political unrest has caused the UK DOMECTIC Market and Local Government areas to offer help and allowance. The, Monetary aid appears to be on a more personal level, than that in my mind of a social level and the individual these days PENSIONER has to fight not on a social level/community level, but on a personal one I feel and this makes the task of finance and advice to residents seeking help in a community such as a ‘Retirement Village’ run and managed by an organisation such as the ‘THE EXTRACARE CHARITIES TRUST’ Difficult when they have to consider who or who are their existing and future possible residents?
Its all in the mix for an economic and a social solution, following the ETHOS and the PHYLOSOPHY of the ‘THE EXTRACARE CHARITABLE TRUST’ Coventry and its promotion of a social centre and dwelling places such as their Retirement Villages.
I trust the modern-day persons of responsibility which still maintain and follow the original concepts as developed and enacted since the mid 1980’s.
DAVID
addendum, with the possible age of a retrement society, village entering the possibilities with an average of 90 years, ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT THE RETIREMENT VILLAGE HAVE TO CONSIDER IS ‘BOTH PHYSICAL/MENTAL SUPPORT AND THEN FINANCIAL ADVICE, ON DECSIONS THAT MAY OCCCUR TO BE OF AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION TO BOTH THE ORGANISATION AND THE RESIDENT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL!!!!
iT IS A JOINT DECISION FOR THE RESIDENT, THEIR FAMILY, AND SOCIAL SERVICES, SHOULD THEY BECOME INVOLVED.
ALHZIERS, AND DEMENTIA SHOW NO FAVOUR TO THE ‘CONCERNED RESIDENT’ HOWEVER THE RETIREMENT VILLAGE ORGANISATION MAY WISH TO SHOW SOME PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT IN DAY TO DAY AFFAIRS, SUCH THAT THEY REQUIRE FINANCIAL ADVICE TO MAKE LIFE MORE ENJOYABLE.
wow!! 111Ageing in Retirement Villages— 5