Talkin’ bout my generation
FAR from “having it all”, many baby boomers are spending their retirement caring for their ageing parents – and, according to government figures, it’s a future more of us can look forward to. The number of over-85s in the UK is expected to more than double in the next 23 years to more than 3.4 million, the Department of Work and Pensions predicts.
Now retirement living specialists McCarthy & Stone has reported an increase in the number of elderly parents and their baby boomer children moving into developments together.
“We know of several sites that have two generations of the same family living under one roof, either buying separate apartments side by side, or near to each other,” says Geoff Bates, Head of Brand and Communications.
“A lot of the time it’s so the child can feel like they are supporting or caring for their parent while also preparing for their own old age; or in some cases, where the parent has moved in first, they see the independent, active, social lifestyle they’ve become accustomed to, and think… hang on a minute I want a slice of that too.”
Michael Kay, 66, moved into McCarthy and Stone’s Forest Court Retirement Living development in Chester a couple of years ago, where his mother Phyllis Kay, 92, also lives.
“When my father passed away in 1993 my mother carried on living in their large family home in Chester for a number of years, but the time came when I knew she needed some extra support and the burden had become too much for her,” says Mr Kay.
“I’d also just retired myself at the age of 60 so in the back of my mind when we were going to view these places I was also thinking about my own old age and where I could picture myself in a few years.
“We decided on Forest Court because of the central location, close to a variety of local amenities, and the modern look and feel of the apartments. Mum’s like a little whippet – she walks faster than me, and there’s nothing she enjoys more than the independence to go off into town.
“It also felt really secure with lots of like-minded people her age that she now calls friends and plenty to see and do, with a leisure centre and swimming pool next door, beautiful gardens and a park opposite.
“While Mum was settling in really well, I’d begun to start feeling the burden of looking after my home, which at the time was a detached, two-bedroom bungalow with a very large garden. The maintenance was too much for me on my own and I felt I couldn’t really enjoy my retirement as I would have liked – my own Mum was having a better time than I was.”
Shortly after, Michael sold his bungalow and moved into a one-bedroom apartment on the first floor above Phyllis’s.
“It just seemed silly not to. Why should the fact I’m slightly younger than some of the other people there put me off?
“I thought, I’m ready to downsize, living on my own, and if it’s good enough for mum, why wait until I’m too old and I need to move? Why not do it now while I can still make the most of my retirement years doing all the things I enjoy?
“We’re now able to spend more time together. We meet for coffee each morning at 10am in the homeowner’s lounge, go for brunch at our favourite restaurant just around the corner, or on Fridays we enjoy the takeaway and wine night that the social committee organises here.”
Phyllis adds: “It’s wonderful because Michael gets to play golf most days with his buddies and have his independence, plus he’s got a lot of old school friends not far away. We both have our own lives which is nice, and he doesn’t have to spend all his time working on the house or garden when he should be taking it easy. “The main thing is I get all the support I need here – the staff are brilliant and it’s peace of mind for Michael that if I need him he can be there, but otherwise everything is taken care of.”
Forest Court Retirement Living apartments are now all sold, but nearby McCarthy & Stone developments have one and two-bedroom flats available at Latham Court in Sandbach, Cheshire, from £160,499 to £220,499 and at Grove Court in Crosby, Liverpool from £159,999 to £269,999 (0800 201 4811; mccarthyandstone.co.uk).