When is it time to move into retirement housing?
With advancing age, daily life in your own property can become increasingly difficult to manage – keeping on top of the gardening and cleaning, climbing the stairs, getting to the nearest supermarket, etc. Nevertheless, many older people find it difficult to leave behind their familiar environment. Yet in many instances, the quality of living can improve when you move into age-friendly accommodation. Here you can find out more about why it is worth thinking about this in good time.
When your own home no longer suits your needs in older age, this can lead to frustrating experiences. At some point, everything that once seemed to be an advantage of the property becomes so impractical that it causes nothing but grief. If you have reached this stage yourself, it is essential to take action – and bring about a change in your living situation.
What are the defining characteristics of age-friendly accommodation?
Retirement housing is not the same thing as a care home. Instead, it is simply accommodation that is more suitable for older people in terms of size and furnishings, healthcare provision and neighbourly relations than, say, a family-sized house in need of repair, in a suburb with poor transport connections. In older age, it makes sense to inhabit fewer rooms that are set out on a single floor. This doesn’t mean that the apartment can’t be large and spacious. Even if you are not currently impaired in terms of your mobility, it is still worth thinking about wheelchair accessibility. In any case, hallways and door frames should be wide enough to fit a wheelchair. Low door handles and window fasteners are also of benefit.
The apartment doesn’t necessarily have to be on the ground floor, but a lift is important – or better yet, two lifts, with one serving as a backup. Location is also a very important criterion for age-friendly accommodation. The most crucial factor here is good infrastructure. Doctors and supermarkets, and ideally also a hospital, should all be easily accessible on foot. Other important features might include a park for walking in, as well as a library or other places that are important to you personally.
Moving in good time to continue living independently
Many older people are put off moving owing to practical considerations in particular. They feel overwhelmed by the search for a new home and the sale of their current property, don’t know what to do with all their belongings, and therefore prefer to leave everything as it is. Yet these are all problems that a professional local estate agent will be more than happy to solve for you. Commission your property expert with both the sale of your current home and the search for suitable accommodation – and you will be amazed by how little there is left for you to do! Instead, you will benefit from starting a new life chapter in your new, age-friendly home. There is no sense in waiting to move until the point that you require care or are no longer able to make your own decisions. By leaving behind your now-inconvenient own property and creating a living situation in line with your changed needs, you aren’t losing your independence but regaining your freedom.
Is your property no longer right for you and you are thinking of moving into age-friendly accommodation? Get in touch with us! We are happy to advise you.
Note
In this text, the generic masculine is used for better readability. Feminine and other gender identities are explicitly included to the extent necessary for the statement.
Legal note: This article does not constitute tax or legal advice in individual cases. Please have the facts of your specific individual case clarified by a lawyer and/or tax advisor.
