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Parent Downsizing in Cork City

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  • 03-12-2015 7:56pm
    #1
    Smiley11
    Registered Users Posts: 247 ✭✭


    Just wondering if any of you have advice with regard to this. My mother is in the fortunate position of having the family home "Sale Agreed" & will have cash to purchase her next home all going well.

    Being that the house is SA over a month, I'd estimate closing in February/March '16 going on a rough 3/4 month time frame. There isn't a penny at the moment for her to put a deposit on her next home so we'll have to wait until the house closes to go looking seriously & in the meantime, she can stay with us & we'll store the furniture somewhere.

    What I'm wondering is if any of you know of or can recommend a nice community for a widow in her 70's that close to amenities. Shes happy enough to move to a totally different area once shes close to shops/bus routes etc. From what I can see her choices are limited. She'd prefer a small house as she enjoys the garden but she'd consider an apartment if she was happy that it was in a small, quiet complex. She'd also prefer a 2 bedroom home.

    Has anyone heard of communities built specifically for older people?...I don't think these exist in Cork City & I'd imagine if they did that the demand would be phenomenal! Have any of your parents recent or similar experiences we could glean a bit of advice from? I'd happily take recommendations on alternative locations where you know of older relations/friends living that would be suitable.

    TIA!


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    #2
    Balmed Out
    Registered Users Posts: 4,716 ✭✭✭Balmed Out


    I dont think there are in the city. Im pretty sure Clonakilty, Skibereen, Fermoy and I think Mallow do.


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    #3
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,423 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    You could look at assisted living, retirement villages or a granny flat(!), but strike a balance between support and institutionalisation.

    While I don't know of many in Cork, I'm sure there are some. There are the various Skiddy's homes, but I imagine they are rent-based.

    'Shops' might be a limited criteria - doctor, dentist, pharmacy, hairdresser, church, etc. might also be important.

    I would be slow to change neighbourhood, unless there was no suitable property local, as social contact risks being lost.

    At her age, being able to avoid stairs, having a walk-in shower and other adjustments might be useful.


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    #4
    lainey316
    Registered Users Posts: 902 ✭✭✭lainey316


    There's Westgate in Ballincollig but might be too elderly for her?


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    #5
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,967 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Smiley11 wrote: »
    Has anyone heard of communities built specifically for older people?...I don't think these exist in Cork City & I'd imagine if they did that the demand would be phenomenal!

    I'm not sure about demand: According to some posters here (not me) no older person ever wants to downsize, they all want to keep living in the [large and unsuitable for their current needs] family home so they can pass it on to the next generation.

    IMHO, congratulations to your mother for being smarter than that, matching her housing to her needs and releasing a family home to a family.

    Re communities. Yes, I've heard of them. Haven't heard about them here - but then I haven't looked. Where I know about them, they're usually part of a care-continuum type of complex, which goes from stand alone unsupported units, to supported living (more help, while still living in your own unit), to full nursing home care (in come cases, even provided in your unit, in others you move when you get very sick).

    Something to be aware of though, is the nature of what is purchased in them. In some overseas ones, the person buys a licence to occupy, rather than the unit itself. Which can lead to problems if the company running the complex goes broke, or even just disappears. Or if not enough units are purchased. Or if the management fees become too large. Etc. Also, sometimes the licence includes a rule that at the persons death the license can only purchased from the estate by the management company at the same (or even a discounted) cash value as the initial sale, with no allowance for inflation or current market-value. Can be a nice little earner for the company if the person lives for a very long time and demand is high.

    Where I come from, the government has done a lot of work on regulating the industry. Haven't heard about anything similar here.


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