The majority of older people stay living in the same home for as long as possible.
However it may be beneficial for you or someone you know to move to more suitable housing. Moving before a point of crisis means more choice and less stress and can avoid the need to move into a care home.
Moving can be beneficial for a number of reasons:
- Health: as we become older we may struggle to move around our home or to easily travel, we may need to receive care, or we may need a home in which we are less likely to fall or which does not contribute to our ill health.
- Finance: our existing housing may become unaffordable to rent, maintain or heat, or we may want to realise some of the value of our home for other purposes.
- Well-being: we may no longer feel safe in our home, want a home that is easier to manage, or feel isolated and want to be closer to family, to people in the same stage of life or to relevant services and opportunities.
Moving may involve "downsizing" - moving to a smaller, cheaper and/or more manageable home.
The charity 'Housing Care' provides a free advice and information service, developed to help older people access information on a range of housing related matters, including:
- Accessing services to help you live safely and well at home
- Adapting and improving your home to make it suitable for you
- Exploring the options available if you wish to move
- A self-help questionnaire