A little extra support can go a long way. But elderly housing options are in high demand and can take up a lot of time and money; the average care home fees can be anywhere between £25,000 and £55,000 per year*.
If you are living independently and want to stay in your own home, ‘home care’ is one alternative. You still receive the level of care you need, all in the comfort of your own home. TEC-Angel can help reassure family and carers, without invading your privacy – working on the basis that no news is good news. Door and room movements are monitored for unusual activity, sending text alerts if something out of the ordinary occurs.
*Source: LaingBuisson Care of Older People UK Market Report 28th edition – May 2017.
Housing options
There is a wide range of housing and residential options for elderly residents. Whether you prefer to stay at home, receive extra support, or move into specialist accommodation, there’s a solution to suit most lifestyles and living situations.
If you wish to stay independent at home for longer, making small changes to your home and daily routine can make a world of difference. One example is ‘home care’ – extra support and home adaptations that allow you to continue living in your own home and neighbourhood.
If you are finding it harder to manage at home but can still live independently, another option is moving into accommodation designed especially for older people. Some options such as sheltered housing or retirement villages have become increasingly popular in recent years.
We’ve put together some of the main options below. These are all suitable for elderly people who can live independently, and covers varying levels of care and support – whether that is needed now or in the future.
What level of care do I need ?
| TEC-Angel | Domiciliary care | Sheltered housing | Extra-care housing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is it for? | |||
| For those who can live independently in their own home | For those who can live independently in their own home, and need extra support | For those who can live independently, but may need extra support in the future | For those who can live independently, but want more support than what’s offered in sheltered housing |
| What is it? | |||
A monitoring system with sensors that monitor door and room movement
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Care workers visit your home and help with a wide range of tasks, such as:
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A self-contained property, with its own front door, kitchen and bathroom
|
A self-contained property similar to sheltered housing, but with more support and facilities:
|
| Things to consider (pros/cons) | |||
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Financing care
Making adjustments to support your changing lifestyle can be expensive, complicated, and time-consuming. Luckily, there are several ways to help cover the costs of care, such as funding from your local authority or the NHS, in addition to self-funding. There are also plenty of support services and resources available online.
In order to establish if you are eligible for financial support, the local authority must assess your current living and financial situation. This is done by a care needs assessment, and a means test. We’ve outlined the process in the table below. The results depends on several variables, such as where you live in the UK, the level of care needed, and the sum of your savings and financial assets.
| Care needs assessment | Means test / financial assessment |
|---|---|
A social worker or occupational therapist looks at:
Afterwards, a personalised care plan will be designed, written out and given to you. |
The means test looks at your income, savings, investments and property to calculate how much you need to pay for care.
Afterwards, the local council will send a written record of their decision of how much you have to pay, and how they calculated it. |
Use TEC-Angel as a standalone package or as part of a wider care plan
TEC-Angel can be used on its own or as an effective complement to home care. Our system works seamlessly alongside pendant alarms and care visits – for extra peace of mind, without any overlapping interference. To find out more, please visit our personal alarms page.
