Forget a care home — start a commune!
MANY older people have fears about their future. As a 72-year-old, retired district nurse, I have experienced this at first hand. From birth to the age of 30, we grow, gain knowledge and form relationships. From 30 to 60, we raise a family while our career progresses. So, what happens from the age of 60? Instead of moving into a retirement complex or downsizing, I have upsized by buying a small working farm. However, I am not living in isolation, but in a commune of people from all three stages of life. Sharing my very Greek way of life is my wife, Sandra, 69, a retired hospital care assistant. The next generation comprises our daughter Melissa, 48, a nurse in a minor injuries unit, and her husband, Andrew ‘Mac’ Marsh, 53, a window cleaner. The youngsters are our granddaughters, Ione, 21, and Anelise, 23, who work on the farm, and Anelise’s fiance Aaron Jenkins, 23, a farmer. Two more older people would add so much to the dynamics of our mixed ability gang. A love of animals is well catered for: we have cattle, sheep, seven dogs, seven pigs, four goats and 13 horses (including three Shetland and three Dartmoor ponies). We finance the commune, our extended family, by sharing expenses, assessing individual needs and setting aside a set amount to finance health care that may be needed in the future. No one living here will ever be asked to leave because of deteriorating health problems. Our strength is the unconditional support we readily give to each other. True contentment has been found within these few acres. Living this way of life has made me a dedicated convert to the idea of a commune of people with like minds. As well as working on the farm, we can socialise together or retreat into a private space for personal reflection. We all learn from each other, passing skills and knowledge in both directions along life’s line of continuum. Older people should have more choice regarding how they wish to live in what should be the most exciting time in their life. When I am not quite as active as I am now, I know that the farm and its household will look after me.
NEIL DOWDING, Chard, Somerset.