FirstStop quick guides to growing older...
Most people do not plan to move home in later life, and if you are finding it difficult to manage, but would like to stay put, there are ways in which you can make life easier or safer. However if you are considering moving, there are now several types of housing purpose-designed for elderly people. If you feel you need daily care, then there are also choices to make - between care in your home, care in a special housing setting, or moving into a care home. Our guides look at all these options in more detail, and are written by our experinced advice team. For each one we have selected a limited number of factsheets, leaflets and books most likely to give you the information you are looking for.
Residential care homes
Care homes for personal care, sometimes known as residential homes, are for people who need 24 hour support. Residents have a room, sometimes with their own en suite bathroom, and access to shared facilities.
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Dementia
One of the 17 objectives of the National Dementia Strategy launched on 4th February 2009 by the Department of Health concerns us directly “Good quality information for people with dementia and their carers”.
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Finance
Housingcare.org and EAC FirstStop Advice firmly believe that financial security is an essential ingredient in providing older people with a sense of well-being. FirstStop has produced two guides ‘Finding and Funding a Care Home’ and ‘Releasing Capital from Your Home’ FirstStop has also carefully chosen a number of providers of financial advice who specialise in the areas which are most likely to affect older people at some time in their retirement.
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Equity release
Equity release is a tool enabling home owners to use the value of their homes to produce a capital sum or an income while they continue to live there. There are various types of equity release schemes; we recommend that you take independent financial and legal advice before entering into such schemes. There are numerous providers of equity release plans. Every lender can have differing interest rates, loan criteria and customer benefits, each of which need to be thoroughly researched to match your personal needs.
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