Extra Support & Advice for older generations.
Your home is probably your biggest asset. It can be hard to know what to do when your home becomes too difficult to manage, or your needs change and you may need more help.
I have nearly 20 years social work experience. This has given me a unique insight into how daunting it can be to navigate the numerous options available to you or a loved one. I feel passionately about supporting people to make the right choice for them so I hope this section will be helpful. I’m very happy to talk through any personal circumstances. I can offer advice and point you in the right direction if there is a specific service that you need.
Maintaining Independence:
A lot of people want to remain in their own home for as long as possible. There are various social services teams that can help you achieve this. They will be able to assess any risks and offer possible solutions.
This may include:
- Help from an occupational therapist to see if there are any adaption and/or equipment that could make your home safer and easier to manage.
- Advise on assisted technology such as alarms and fall sensors so if anything does happen, the right people are contacted in a timely manner.
- Offering advice and helping organise carers to come and support you in your home. It maybe that live in care is an option.
- If you already have a friend or family member helping you, there may be support available for these carers.
- There are services that can help you check your benefits, and any grants that maybe available to you and help you stay in your own home.
- There are some good home meal services now available if cooking is becoming a problem.
Housing and financial advice:
You may decide that living in your own home is no longer an option and you need more support. There are various housing and care option throughout West Sussex. Depending on your needs there are extra care housing (independent flats with onsite support,) care homes and nursing homes. I would be happy to talk to you about these options, how the process works and what to consider when thinking of moving.
There is also advice on the West Sussex County Council Website: https://www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org/
Financial advice is extremely important at this stage. Whether you are needing long term care or to moving to a more supported environment it is important to get independent financial advice. Carewise have independent financial experts who can help you. They can advise you on you savings allowance and what contribution you may need to make towards your care. You might also need to consider appointing a power of attorney or whether you may need to apply for deputyship if your relative no longer has mental capacity. This can seem complicated and overwhelming, but I can offer advice and point you in the right direction, however independent financial advice advisable. You can find out more information about Carewise on their website:
https://www.carewiseadvice.com/
Selling your home:
Sometimes downsizing before managing your home becomes too difficult can be a good idea. A plan moved can easier than moving in a crisis. The earlier you talk to us, the more informed you can be when deciding what to do. We want to make sure that any decision is right for you. If the time does come to sell our promise to you is that we will support you through the process and act with empathy, care, compassion and efficiency. As independent estate agents you will only ever deal with Rebecca or Lucy. We will get to know you and your circumstances, so we understand what you need. This may be looking at time scales, help preparing your house for sale (decluttering, any maintenance work and home staging,) how we arrange viewings or how we communicate with you. We will always be sensitive to your needs. If you would like to talk through your circumstances, even if it is something you are thinking about for the future please do give us a call.