Not too bad,
again. Again, we didn’t get out, this time because a nurse came to take
my blood pressure. It was low, as is the norm these days.
I wound a ball of
yarn from Lilias Day – I think I’ll start with that one. Then I gave some thought
to casting on – it’s circular, knit bottom up. The only way I have ever heard
of to do that efficiently is to use two balls of yarn – so I wound another one.
Care homes: the
British have an abundance of purpose-built apartments for the elderly, with grab-rails
and someone on duty at night. But no dining room, no gym, no provision for what
happens when you need a bit more care. No community, in fact. I considered one in Blairgowrie when my
husband died. I’m glad I stayed here.
Mary Lou, I think
you have put your finger on the difference I will be investigating: the “hefty
original investment.” I think it may be that the British are more devoted to
the family house, and more determined to leave it to their children no matter what
expense they may impose on the state. I don’t expect to learn much, but I’ll
report back.
there are three levels of assisted living available for the elderly in the United Kingdom: "sheltered accomodation" which equates to small apartments with a warden who checks in on residents, "care homes" and "nursing homes". The first ranges from apartments with no shared areas to blocks or groups with good shared spaces, dining rooms and many activities to build community. Care homes have individual rooms, many with small kitchens, all with private bathrooms, where staff support daily living as necessary and where all residents have the use of dining rooms, meals, laundry, pleasant sitting rooms and normally lots of group activities to choose between. They also often have a "nursing wing" to which the more seriously ill can progress without relocating. The places which solely offer nursing care usually often have activities and shared areas also. The whole thing is a booming business here as the population ages.
ReplyDeleteI think Jean makes a good point that the British love their homes.I visited around 20 care homes in my area last summer when my parents were struggling at home even with daily carers, and what became very clear was that the activities on offer were sadly underused. Staff said it was because people were so keen to delay entering a care home that by the time they did so they were too infirm to enjoy all the goodies on offer.
My mother in law is in a lovely, council run facility in Glasgow which is bright, cheerful, sparkling clean and supplies excellent food multiple times a day and
friendly staff to help with anything. In fact she is under the delusion that she is in a rather nice Spanish hotel although she says the food and staff are very Anglicised!!
JennyS
My father (in South on England) lives in a community of self contained 1 and 2 bedroom flats with on-site carers and communal dining room and lounge. He's treasurer of the social committee at age 92! They have various events weekly and through the year. It's a mix of social housing and shared equity ownership; we've got our eyes on buying a flat there for ourselves sometime in the next 10 years .
ReplyDeleteThat sounds a great option. Good to hear it is out there. JennyS
Deleteno matter what expense they may impose on the state. That would be the expense they've paid for all their working lives via their national Insurance Contributions??
ReplyDeleteI think there is a misunderstanding here. One can't "impose expense on the state" while preserving the family home, at least not in England or Scotland. You can arrange carers at home if needed, but you have to pay for them yourself if you own even a modest property. You can't linger in hospital either, not nowadays, because the hospital will arrange for you to be transferred either home with care at your own expense, if considered safe, or to a residential facility also at own expense. I'm not trying to get into the national insurance/ care costs debate here, just to clarify that the way things are done now does not leave any option to keep a property while receiving long term state-funded care in old age. The perceived rights and wrongs are a separate issue
DeleteWhy two balls of yarn to knit circular, bottom up?
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know the answer to this too. I just use one....
DeleteJennyS