Audley Retirement

Government report on downsizing

2012-01-23T06:22:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas a report was published by the Intergenerational Foundation suggesting there are as many as 25 million empty bedrooms around the UK, particularly in the homes of retired people. The report suggested that incentives be given to people to move from their larger houses into smaller accommodation to allow younger families the opportunity to move up the housing ladder. This week Grant Schapps, the Housing Minister confirmed the Government are considering ways of incentivising people to move on.

The reaction in the mainstream Press has been very negative towards the suggestion that people should be forced out of their homes that they have worked so hard to acquire.

The Audley view is that you cannot debate people’s housing choices without ensuring there are suitable alternatives. The idea of downsizing is so much more common in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere as a consequence of there being so much more good quality dedicated housing for retired people and therefore making a move a more enticing prospect.

People should never be forced to make a move. One would hope that in the future it becomes their choice as they see excellent alternatives.

Nick Sanderson

2011-09-19T04:27:00.000-07:00

Friday 16^th September 2011

Lou and Muriel Schloss – from St Elphin's Park, Derbyshire, England

After a busy couple of days in Derbyshire, seeing the magnificent Chatsworth House and enjoying some rare sunshine, we left the village this morning on the train to London for our final part of the exchange.

On arrival we were picked up and went to The Hix restaurant to meet Audley CEO Nick Sanderson and his wife Philippa. We had a fantastic lunch and a good chat with Nick about how Audley was established and the concept behind the villages. We told Nick all about Maravilla and how we see retirement living in the US.

That night we ate dinner and had an early night before leaving for our European cruise in the morning. It's been a busy but incredible 10 days and we've learnt so much about so many people, we're looking forward to getting back home and sharing all our stories and hundreds of photographs!

Lou and Muriel

Friday 16^th September 2011

Tony and Carol Gregory – from SRG Maravilla, Santa Barbara, California

This morning we had breakfast at Park Lane with the general manager Frank White, Brian and Allison.

We were sad to leave Park Lane as we have made many friends who want to keep in touch by email.

We were then taken to Salinas railway station and caught the 11.48 am Amtrak train to Santa Barbara. We again sat on the upper deck and settled down for our comfortable 6 1/2 hour journey. We were met at the station by Sarah and the Maravilla bus and returned to our guest suite. We had room service, a quick change and over to see The Silver Follies - a group of ladies aged 55 plus and two men. They gave a good performance of song and dance which was really appreciated by the residents.

We have not had time for a gin and tonic today so after a few more emails, we are certainly going to have at least one!

Saturday 17^th September 2011

First thing this morning, a photographer from the local paper, attended Maravilla and took a number of shots of Carol and I around the complex.

Carol and I were then taken by Jill to Sandpiper golf club, Santa Barbara, a beautiful coastal course. Jill and I hit 100 balls on the practice ground while Carol took a few photos.

Taylor then took us to down town Santa Barbara for some shopping and then lunch.

A freelance photographer then took a number of photographs of Carol and I, in and around the old court house, Santa Barbara. We then went on to a wine tasting at Santa Barbara Winerey. The same freelance photographer attended there and took more photographs.

It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day with clear blue skies. We returned to Maravilla and enjoyed time in the outdoor Jacuzzi followed by time in the sun. It was then time to change and have supper with Jay and Carol. Free time this evening before another busy day tomorrow.

Sunday 18^th September 2011

This morning we had breakfast with Liza Rosa and then we had a tour of the Maravilla complex with Jill who showed us the accommodation for independent living, assisted living and memory care. Fantastic facilities in all of them.

At 12 noon, we were taken with other residents to the Circle B Ranch where we had a BBQ and a comedy show.

We were hosted at dinner by Paula, Winnella, Marty, Marion and Dan. A most enjoyable evening. We finished off by having drinks with the same hosts in Paula's apartment.

The weather here has really picked up, it is warm and sunny and we will be reluctant to leave.

We have made so many friends who have made us feel so welcome. The staff have excelled in their hospitality both here at Maravilla and Park Lane.

We are now off to pack our cases ready for our trip home.

Carol and Tony

Latest updates from our exchange couples

2011-09-16T00:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 13^th September 2011

Muriel and Lou Schloss – from Audley Clevedon, Ilkley, West Yorkshire

On Monday we saw more of this beautiful area from the car as it was more than breezy outside – it seems that the hurricane has drifted over from the states. Ruth and Lennie and Trudy and all our wonderful painters at Maravilla would be inspired by this incredible landscape!

We had dinner at our first ‘Pub’. The building was stone, the inside wood. Of all things, our waiter was from California!!! I had ribs, Lou had a rib eye steak – so what else is new?! Both very good. A special treat for me was the rhubarb part of my dessert – full of chunks – brought back memories of my childhood.

Wednesday 14^th September 2011

Our last morning at Clevedon and we were sad to say farewell to so many people. We finished packing, sad our thank yous and goodbyes, then were driven by Doug, the general manager to our next stop, St Elphin’s Park in Derbyshire. This is the home of Tony and Carol, so we were excited to see it and we’d heard so much about the area.

We arrived late afternoon and met with Paul and Tessa from head office, as well as Bruce the manager at St Elphin’s Park and Alison, the Community Relations Manager. We were shown to our apartment and took a rest before dinner at the Peacock with Bruce and Alison.

Lou and Muriel

Tuesday 13^th September 2011

Tony and Carol Gregory – from SRG Maravilla, Santa Barbara, California

On Monday we were hosted at breakfast by Brian and Jill from the management, we shared views on our different villages.

We then went with other residents to the Vandenberg Air Force Base for a tour of the facilities. It is a vast complex of 100,000 acres. It is the third largest air base in the US. It is concerned with missile launches. A very interesting and informative tour coupled with a very nice buffet in the officers mess. We travelled along the coast road affording stunning views of the ocean.

We were hosted at dinner by friends of Lou and Muriel - Lee and Rita Weinberg.

Wednesday 14^th September

The time is going oh so quickly. Yesterday we moved from Santa Barbara to Park Lane, Monterey. We boarded the Amtrak train at Santa Barbara. A fabulous train. We sat on the upper deck and enjoyed the wonderful scenery with views of the ocean and mountains. It was a six and a half hour journey. We were met at Salinas railway station by Brian and Allison from Park Lane in one of their Cadillacs. Once on the move, we were treated to an excellent cheese board with fruit grapes, figs etc., and wine.

Once at Park Lane we were shown to our guest suite, a 5 star plus chalet. Due to our late arrival, we had room service which again was excellent.

This morning we were hosted at breakfast by two of the residents - Elaine and Larry Bache. There followed a visit to the world famous Monterey Aquarium with lunch at their restaurant.

Thursday 15^th September

Today we went with other residents on the Park Lane bus on the 17 mile drive around Pebble Beach and Carmel area. We visited Pebble Beach golf club - world famous in the golfing world. I was able to have several practice putts on the putting green - probably the nearest I will get to playing that course. It is $489 per round plus extra for a cart and if required a caddie. We had a tour of the club house, I was in my element.

We then went to the Pebble Beach tennis club another exclusive venue. We were invited by Mrs Muriel Dobry - a resident at Park Lane, for lunch. A glorious location overlooking the ocean.

We then continued the drive along the coast road and stopped to take photographs of dolphins swimming very near to the beach.

Back at the complex, we had a tour of the facilities with the general manager Frank White. A very nice place.

We were invited to the wine happy hour followed by dinner with the 12 members of the residents council in a private dining room.

It has all been very successful regarding our visit here. We have made many friends who have asked for our e-mail address to keep in touch.

Carol and Tony

Latest updates from our exchange couples

2011-09-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday 11^th September 2011

Muriel and Lou Schloss – from Audley Clevedon, Ilkley, West Yorkshire

Back to Friday evening where we last left you. After Betty’s Tea Room, a short walk around and a rest, Clevedon put on a ‘proper’ Yorkshire dinner for us. Many of the residents had signed up to join us, so we were about 20 people. A lot of introductions and a nice greeting by Doug Warren, the manager here. For dinner we had a lovely roast beef, roast potatoes, veggies artfully arranged and, of course, Yorkshire pudding. Each of us had our own and each was the largest Yorkshire pudding I’ve ever seen. Wine, of course and individual desserts of berry crumble. All huge delicious portions!

Saturday I went back to exercising. Had a yogurt from our well-stocked fridge and found another note under the door from our neighbour across the hall. Khristine Johnston is an artist (as is her husband, Phillip, a retired doctor) and she’s left notes from day one on her beautiful note cards. They’d do well in our gift shop. I hope to bring some home.

After coffee and water (for me) at Khristine and Phillip’s and lots of getting to know each other kind of talk we went to the bar for lunch. Lou and I shared a chicken Caesar salad because we knew we were going out with Shirley and Brian Lee for a special dinner at box tree. More about that later.

The afternoon was busy. One of the residents, another Brian, Ridsdale, set up archery. We both got instructions – it isn’t easy – and let the arrows fly. Most of them fell far short of the target, but...Yea!!! I actually (and by accident!) hit it (the larger target, not the bullseye). But I didn’t care, I’d actually hit something! Lou, however, didn’t fare quite as well.

From there, Michael Whitaker, another new friend, took us over to ping pong. The ¾ size table was a little hard to get used to, but I did eke out a 21-20 victory. Three cheers for Maravilla!!! Couldn’t give Michael a rematch at the time because we were already late for Bridge where we held some good hands but not such good scores.

After a rest, we were invited to see Shirley and Brian Lee’s apartment. The same set up as our guest quarters which, hopefully, you’ll see in our photos. We had to leave ‘spot on’ when the taxi arrived to take the four of us to dinner at Boxtree which has a Michelin star rating. Hate to admit it, but have never even heard of a Santa Barbara restaurant so elegant, with regal service and food to match!!! The demitasse of squash cream soup with toasted pumpkin seeds was to die for (excuse the expression) as was the chocolate tart accompanied by raspberry sherbet!!! The lamb entree was very good but...the soup and tart were unbelievably delish!!!

Sunday morning I went for a walk around our area. It’s sunny and breezy. Discovered all kinds of nooks and crannies. What I thought looked like the fronts of attached houses, turned out to be the backs and the fronts were quite separate and impressive. Directly across the street were a pasture and many sheep just lay there watching me, obviously thinking “Whatever is that nutty woman looking at & taking picture of?!”

The countryside is gorgeous. Reminds me of the Robert Louis Stevenson poem “The Land of Counterpane”. Sure hope at least some of my photos of it come out.

Doug and his wife Anne then showed us around for the whole day. First they took us for a short ride before coming back to Clevedon for its traditional carvery luncheon meal. More soup, turkey and roast beef with roasted white and sweet potatoes, veggies, of course, huge Yorkshire puddings! And more delicious desserts.

We drove through the countryside afterwards. Went to see the Bolton Abbey at Addingham, which is about 10 miles away. Part of the church is crumbling, part is still in use. It looked like a picture from a history book, cemetery and all. We left as it started to drizzle. On the way home, from a distance, we saw what looked like gigantic golf balls. Doug explained that they were listening devices on an American Air Force base.

Back at Clevedon, a nap felt good and then one of the helpers brought us sandwiches, cookies, coffee and tea. A quiet evening will get us ready for tomorrow.

Lou and Muriel

Sunday 11^th September 2011

Tony and Carol Gregory – from SRG Maravilla, Santa Barbara, California

We are enjoying the busy schedule. When Carol and I dine at Maravilla, we are hosted by a couple of residents. We sit at a table laid for four and enjoy swapping views and stories over lovely meals.

Sunday morning after breakfast, we were driven in one of the village buses to the ocean front in Santa Barbara to view an art sale/exhibition of works of various types of art, interesting. We then had lunch at a restaurant at the end of the pier and then had a scenic tour of the area calling at an old Spanish Mission, a very interesting place.

We were hosted at evening meal by two more residents; this is such a good way of meeting people and exchanging ideas. It is a very worthwhile exchange, we have much to bring to the table on our return.

After our evening meal, we were entertained by a brilliant pianist and had a sing-a-long with the residents.

Tomorrow morning, we are visiting an air force base for a tour. It is one from which missiles are launched -

We are finding it difficult to find time to have a gin and tonic - busy, busy schedule - not complaining though, so we are off to have one now for a nightcap !!

Carol and Tony

P.S We are being treated like royalty. Lots of photographs taken by various residents and staff. We are approached continually by residents who want to meet us and shake hands.

First Impressions

2011-09-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

The exchange is in full swing and our couples have both met, arrived at their exchange villages and are settling into life across the pond.

Over the next few days, we will be posting their personal blogs so you can see how they are getting along.

Friday 9^th September 2011

Muriel and Lou Schloss – from Audley Clevedon, Ilkley, West Yorkshire

Had a good flight over. Slept most of the way. We were greeted at Heathrow by drizzle, a driver and car, taken to Park Plaza Westminster just off the bridge of the same name. Wonderful view of Big Ben!

Monday was clear (Schloss weather!) We took the Hop On, Hop Off and reviewed many of the places we’d seen before. Took a boat ride on the Thames, which ended just as it started to rain.

Tuesday visited Harrod’s, then strolled Oxford Street, in and out of different stores, amazed at their high prices, between the raindrops and had a relaxing day.

Wednesday we had lunch at the Oxo restaurant for lunch, where we were joined by Audley’s Katherine. We strolled Covent Garden’s of Eliza Doolittle fame and watched wonderful street performers. Saw “Betty Blue Eyes” in the evening – a funny, happy musical!

Thursday. Our adventure begins!!! We met the Gregory’s! They looked exactly as we expected and the four of us hit it off immediately. We were sorry to have them leave but, then it was time to go to the train.

It was quite an elegant ride and interesting countryside flying by. At Leeds station, we met Doug. He is Brian’s counterpart at Clevedon.

Our first view of Clevedon was a stately manor house sitting on top of the hill. The interior is very modern – including appointments. The bar, library, dining room, general meeting place, opened to a deck with chairs and umbrella tables. It was all very cosy and the people we met were all very friendly and had been expecting us.

We knew the village would be on a smaller scale than Maravilla in terms of accommodation, but they also have a hairdresser, pool, exercise room where they have Pilates and other exercises.

Our guest room, number 7, is roomy with two bedrooms and a bath and a half and, of course, a TV in the living room. The kitchen is well stocked with sandwiches, a large mixed salad. Juices, milk and cheese. We have a large basket of fresh fruit, a huge crunchy-looking bread with an assortment of jams, cereals, cookies and sweets.

Friday, after a bit of a walk around, we were off to Ilkley, an upscale area where Emma took us to afternoon tea (a BIG lunch) at Betty’s famous tearoom. Well! Between the sandwiches, especially the chicken curry with apple chutney, and the scones with clotted cream and jam – I had to pass on the éclair, fruit tart and sponge cake. But not to worry, we brought it home with us!!!

We’re taking more pictures than you’ll ever want to see and having a great time!

Lou and Muriel

Saturday 10^th September 2011

Tony and Carol Gregory – from SRG Maravilla, Santa Barbara, California

Well, this exchange has really gone well so far. We had a good train journey from Chesterfield to St. Pancras. We were met and taken to the Park Plaza, Tower Bridge, where we met with Lou and Muriel Schloss. They are a great couple and we really enjoyed their company over a lovely lunch. The meeting was too brief but we hope to keep in touch after the exchange. We then left by taxi and taken to the Sheraton Hotel, Heathrow.

We were collected at 6.30 am the next morning (Friday) and taken to terminal 5 at Heathrow. We checked in for the flight and were upgraded to business class - Wow! A great flight with seats that converted into beds. Excellent food, drinks and service. Flight time approx. 11 hours.

We then caught a connecting flight from LA to Santa Barbara. Flight time approx. 20 minutes. We were met by Sarah with the Maravilla mini bus and driver and taken to their village. We thought we had arrived in Spain. A wonderful complex. The weather was sunny and warm. We were taken to our guest suite on the second floor of the main building. A basket of various teas, coffees, biscuits etc. awaited us (together with a bottle of our favourite tipple GIN, who has been spilling the beans?!) Too tired to sample it but we are sure we will do it justice in the days to come!

A lovely comfortable apartment. We had room service but we only needed a sandwich as the meals on the plane had been substantial.

On Saturday morning, we were hosted at breakfast by two of the residents Libby and June. We then went on a tour of Santa Barbara and then a tour of the harbour in an amphibious vehicle. We saw a number of sea lions. The commentary and knowledge of the guide was impressive.

Weather to-day is cloudy but warm. Free time on Saturday afternoon then dinner at a Mexican restaurant tonight. Then back to the village for musical entertainment.

The staff are excellent and cannot do enough for us. All the residents seem very friendly and speak very highly of the village and staff.

Thank you for allowing us to be involved in this exchange.

Carol and Tony

2011-09-09T01:34:00.001-07:00

Introducing our Retirement Couples

Left to right: Carol Gregory, Muriel Schloss, Tony Gregory and Lou Schloss

Today sees Lou and Muriel Schloss wake up on their first day at Audley Clevedon. The couple travelled up by train yesterday afternoon and left the gloomy skies of London to arrive in sunny Yorkshire (not often it’s like that!). Having spent most of the day with Mr and Mrs Gregory, meeting them, sharing stories, swapping notes about their respective villages and passing on messages to neighbours back home, the US couple were very excited about spending their first night at an Audley village.

Meanwhile, Tony and Carol Gregory will also be heading to sunnier skies this morning as they fly from Heathrow to Santa Barbara, California, to start their exchange programme. The couple will be met by the SRG Maravilla team and this evening will be treated to a Camerata Performance in the on-site clubhouse.

This blog will be following the couples over the next 10 days as they experience retirement living across the pond. By way of introduction, we’ve pulled together a brief background on both couples for you to find put more.

Lou and Muriel Schloss

Age: 86 and 84 years old

Live: SRG Maravilla, Santa Barbara

Lou was born in Heilbronn, Germany in 1925. As Lou is Jewish, when tensions increased in Germany, he was taken out of his current school and sent him to a boarding school in Switzerland until he and his family moved to the United States. In 1938, after an agonizing four year wait to receive permission to immigrate, Carl Laemmle (a German born movie pioneer in Hollywood) sponsored many German Jewish families, including the Schloss family, to come to America. They travelled from Le Havre, France to New York by ship and then continued to California by way of the Panama Canal.

Three months after Lou’s 18th birthday, he was drafted into military service. By early 1944, he had completed infantry basic training, was made a U.S. citizen, and sent to Europe. There he served for a year and one half – partly in the Infantry and partly in Military Intelligence. Thanks to the GI Bill, following the war, Lou returned to school at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). There in addition to studying and working he played on the soccer team. In 1948 Lou left school to get married – to which he says, “the smartest thing I ever did.”

Muriel was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1927. When she was eight, her family moved across the country to Los Angeles, California. Three years after the move, her parents divorced and her mother returned to Michigan. At that time, Muriel began travelling back and forth by car, train and eventually by plane until she went to college. By the time she enrolled at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Muriel had attended 13 schools and moved 15 times.

Married for nearly 64 years, Lou and Muriel have two children and four grandchildren.

Tony and Carol Gregory

Age: 70 and 68

Live: Audley St Elphin’s Park, Derbyshire

Tony and Carol are childhood sweethearts. They went to the same school, where Tony was head boy and they started ‘courting’ when Carol was 14 and Tony was 16, after being introduced at their local youth club. The couple married five years later and will be celebrating their 48^th wedding anniversary this year.

Tony’s first job was as a miner in the pits, he then spent nearly 29 years in the police force and finally took a job as a loss adjustor in an insurance company before retiring.

Carol left school and worked in a drapers shop, she then worked for the local council before spending 23 years as an accounts clerk.

Mr and Mrs Gregory moved to St Elphin’s Park in April 2010. The couple are originally from nearby town Alfreton and have always lived in Derbyshire. They chose to retire to the Derbyshire Dales area as being near Matlock meant they were closer to family and friends.

The couple have two daughters – one lives in North Carolina and the other near Toronto in Canada. They have two grandchildren in North Carolina who they normally see once a year. Unfortunately they won't get to see them on this trip, but are planning on visiting sometime in 2012.

Remember you can follow the exchange day by day on the Audley Retirement Facebook page and Twitter feed @AudleyAdviser.

Lifeswap: Retirement Exchange Programme Launches

2011-09-07T00:26:00.000-07:00

Today sees the start of the Audley retirement exchange programme. Working with US-based Senior Resource Group (SRG), the exchange will see Tony and Carol Gregory from our St Elphin’s Park village near Matlock in Derbyshire, swap lifestyles with Lou and Muriel Schloss from the Maravilla Community, in Santa Barbara, California. Both will experience retirement living across the pond, taking part in the day to day activities and meeting other residents.

As a company we are really excited about the next few weeks. For too long there have been negative stereotypes attached to retirement living and we’re hoping to address these with the exchange programme. At Audley, we have pioneered a new UK concept, a village environment which offers a chance to downsize and maintain independence, but with the security and peace of mind that when extra help is needed, it’s readily available without having to move again.

Retirement villages are already well established and accepted in America and we’re keen to share knowledge with SRG and look at ways we can learn from each other, challenge perceptions and develop our offerings.

You can keep track of the exchange from both couples by following our Audley Retirement Facebook page and @AudleyAdviser Twitter feed.

Economic Fears

2011-08-22T02:21:00.000-07:00

It appears that three years on from the banking crisis of 2008 we are experiencing the same panic in world markets. However, this time it is not only the banks but whole countries solvency that is being put into question.

It seems that the UK is avoiding the worst of the condemnation as we acted early to deal with our deficit caused by excessive government and public spending over the last decade. We can only hope that the storm clouds blow over as Governments act in a more decisive and conclusive way and try to remove peoples’ understandable concerns.

Rioting on our Streets

2011-08-15T01:17:00.000-07:00

The truly extraordinary events on the streets of England’s major towns last week are a very stark reminder of how fragile society has become in this country. It appears, for whatever reason, young people have grown up with very little respect for what most would consider the basic rules of a free society. Violence to others and the theft of their property has happened on a frightening scale. We can all be hopeful that lessons will be learned to ensure such events do not reoccur. However, sadly, it is a reminder of the need for vigilance. It is not surprising that one of the main reasons purchasers of Audley village properties identify security as the primary reason for moving.

A Response to The Dilnot Report

2011-07-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

Findings from The Dilnot report were issued on Monday this week (4th July 2011) and recommended that older people with property assets should have to use part of their personal wealth to fund their future social and care needs, but with a cap to protect individuals and their families.

Audley wholeheartedly endorse the findings of the report but urge the government not to panic those approaching retirement into making rash decisions about their future care. Preparing for retirement should not be a cause for concern.

At Audley we have developed a property and living option which allows those approaching retirement to release equity in a fair way for all concerned. Our retirement properties not only offer excellent housing but also come complete with on-site health and fitness facilities, a community of like-minded individuals and care on demand – all aspects of retirement which we think are critical to retirees long-term health and well-being.

As part of our commitment to finding long term solutions that meet people’s care needs, Audley is working on research with the International Longevity Centre (ILCUK) to explore the correlation between extra care living and the impact on health and wellbeing. We are confident the findings, released in September, will help support the step-change needed to ensure future generations are empowered to make a decision on their future needs, maintaining their independence, safe in the knowledge they have secure environment to grow old in.

Barbara Hobbs, Head of Care at Audley Retirement Villages

Southern Cross: A View

2011-06-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

It has been sobering to watch and listen to the troubles of Southern Cross. It is never good to see such a large company in trouble even if the problems are of its own making. However, Southern Cross has responsibility for over 30,000 older people in its care homes around the country and the fear and concern the company's difficulties must be spreading amongst residents, staff and families will be considerable.

Much has been written about the role the private sector should play in the delivery of care to older people and similarly the responsibility that the regulatory authorities have to monitor that standard of care. I would suggest the problems are neither about quality of service nor the people delivering it but about the greed of corporate financiers looking to earn significant amounts of money without knowledge or reference to the sector within which they are operating.

I am not the greatest fan of the traditional care home model believing that independent living in a village setting with care available on demand and on the terms of the user is a far preferable solution. However, the staff of Southern Cross should not be blamed for the follies of the investors.

Nick

Chief Executive

Panorama: Our Thoughts

2011-06-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Nobody who watched Monday’s Panorama programme, on the systematic abuse of young adults in the special needs hospital in Bristol, could have been anything other than horrified that such appalling behaviour could be allowed to happen in 2011.

Facilities such as Winterbourne Grove were developed to provide care for the most vulnerable in society. After the wholesale closure of institutions in the 1980’s and early 1990’s there was a belief, and quite rightly, that wherever possible individuals should be cared for in a home of their own in the community rather than have their freedom restricted by institutional life. However, there are always going to be those who can not support themselves even with domiciliary care for whom specialist facilities such as this were designed.

The ordeals exposed during Monday's Panorama programme are a timely reminder for all of us involved in the social care sector of the responsibilities we bear. We at Audley are acutely conscious of our responsibilities to our customers and their families. We continue to review our audit processes to ensure, as best as possible, the quality of care we deliver and will continue to do so. We are though, always dependent on our customers and all of our staff to share with us information and we always encourage them to do so without restriction.

Nick

Chief Executive

Royally United

2011-05-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

Friday’s Royal Wedding was a timely reminder of why the UK maintains a certain status around the world which, some would say, belies its current economic status. Though the pomp and ceremony of the occasion harked back to great State events of the past there was something very modern about the marriage of two obviously very happy, young people. The British people always seem to show their true commitment and enthusiasm to the country on such occasions. We can only hope that it will linger in the memory and encourage people to believe in the country again. It is confidence such as that which will see us improve our prospects for the future.

It was a very active time at all our Audley villages. Our residents more than most recollect such great events of the past and their significance to the nation.

Sales Success

2011-04-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

We have just completed one of the busiest quarters for Audley in over 3 years. Sales of individual homes at our villages have been at a higher level than we have seen since the financial crisis began in 2008. This certainly seems to be flying in the face of economic news from around the UK. Fears for the public sector and a continued shortage of funds for mortgages has left the UK housing industry in a reasonably fragile state. However, Audley is bucking the trend. We have similarly seen all of our Audley Care branches have an increasing demand for housekeeping and care within people's own homes.

We are hopeful of some good news soon on the funding front which will allow us to commence all of our projects as demand continues to grow. So although there has not been much to cheer the UK consumer recently, Audley's offering of high quality retirement living seems to be striking a cord.

Mansion Tax

2011-04-11T03:07:00.000-07:00

It has been very interesting to read the comments on the potential for a 'mansion tax' as a replacement for the higher rate of income tax. Alice Thompson writing in The Times on 30 March very neatly summed up why it is the British feel so strongly about the ownership of their own home and will resist any attempts to tax them on its value. Housing has been very good to the older generation in the UK. They have successfully accumulated a large capital asset by buying cheaply many years ago and carefully paying off their mortgage throughout their working life, in some cases the value will be considerable but the home may be occupied by those whose incomes in retirement have been eroded to a point where they are eating into savings. To then ask them to pay a percentage of their property value as a tax seems wholly unfair.

It seems that political attempts to be seen to be hard on the affluent bankers may yet again punish those who have worked hardest to accumulate wealth in their lifetime - that is the older generation.

The future looks bright?

2011-04-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

The recent announcement that real incomes in the UK have fallen for the first time in thirty years highlights the vulnerability of the older people to inflation. The almost seemingly relentless increase in the cost of living, particularly energy costs, is eating in to the often fixed incomes of older people. Perhaps that is why at Audley we are seeing increasing numbers of people visiting our villages who have made the decision that downsizing from their family home to more appropriate as well as cost effective accommodation is the sensible route.

We have just finished the most successful quarters trading we have had for three years with enquiry, reservations and sales levels higher than we have seen for some time. Let us hope this represents not just a reawakening in the interest in the retirement village model but the beginnings of a return to health for the UK economy.

Retirement across the pond

2011-03-24T03:09:00.000-07:00

I had a fascinating conversation with Randy Richardson, Chief Executive of Vi Living (www.viliving.com), one of the largest retirement village operators in the United States recently. It is always interesting to see how the American response to their ageing population is different from how we are progressing in the UK.

Much of what we do in the UK has its origins from what was happening in America two decades ago and although there have been huge improvements since then, the general offering can sometimes be a long way behind that of American villages.

We at Audley are committed to delivering a quality of accommodation and service that is second to none and are working on initiatives where we can jointly work with US operators and share the best of what happens on either side of the Atlantic.

Reflections on recent events....

2011-03-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

However challenging the business environment in which we work, the events in Japan last Friday and the suffering the Japanese people have since experienced puts things into perspective. Japan is a country already suffering from two decades of economic stagnation. It also has the largest demographic of elderly people than any other nation on earth which is putting a huge burden on the State. In the UK we have similar issues to address but must think ourselves fortunate we have not experienced such tragic events.

The Institute of Madness?

2011-03-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

The Institute of Economic Affairs stated last week that they believe that older people have received ‘special treatment’ in the spending cuts and should bear a greater share of the burden. They claim as much as £16 billion could be saved by abolishing many pension benefits such as the winter fuel allowance, free bus passes, free television licences, etc.

This does seem somewhat strange and it is an absolute fact that the older you have lived and worked the more you have contributed to the system that pays out these very benefits. Though older people may become a burden on State services it is only at a period in their lives when they have made a contribution at least equal to what their needs require. That is of course the monetary balance. There are many other less tangible contributions that older people have made to society which I suggest the Institute’s rather fundamental approach does not take into account.

Funding Care

2011-02-28T04:28:00.000-08:00

The challenges facing Britain’s ever increasing older generation have been well documented in recent press reports. Last week, the Daily Telegraph trailed Lord Warner’s comments on the funding of care for older people in advance of the impending Government White Paper. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/8326605/Baby-boomers-must-pay-for-their-own-elderly-care.html

His conclusion that the Baby Boomer generation will have to fund their own care out of their housing wealth came as little surprise to those at Audley.

Further articles that trumpeted the fact that the capital wealth limit below which care will be financed by the State is to be frozen for the foreseeable future also came as no surprise. The obvious conclusion is that there will be no Government help for the housing lifestyle and care needs of the older generation. In many ways it is good to see some honesty in the debate as we have been aware of this for many years as the simple mathematics confim that the State does not have the resources to meet the expectation of the rapidly increasing older generation. Maybe for the last time housing wealth has created a chance for this generation to meet their own needs by careful planning and an early acceptance that wise decisions over housing choices and preplanning of future care needs can ensure a positive and high quality life through old age.

Caring for the Elderly

2011-02-18T01:59:00.000-08:00

Having worked for so many years in the field of providing housing and care for older people, this week’s report from the Health Service Ombudsman sadly came as little surprise. Ann Abraham found that hospitals were often failing to meet ‘even the most basic standards of care’ for the elderly. Failing to ‘respond to them with sensitivity, compassion and professionalism’.

Aged care has always been the Cinderella of medicine despite the fact that 40% of all hospital beds are occupied by older people. Joan Bakewell’s article in the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday 16 February is well worth a read. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8326720/Who-cares-for-the-elderly.html)

You may recall she spent a period of time as the ‘Government Voice of Older People’. As she rightly says it is time we began to treat the increasing number of older people with the respect that they deserve and which most other parts of the world do as a proper reflection of the fact that the longer someone lives the greater contribution they have made to society.

Building for the Future

2011-02-02T00:50:00.001-08:00

Seeing the diggers roll into St Elphin’s Park to restart work has been a great boost to all our staff and residents. Not just at St Elphin’s Park but across the country, the commitment made to Audley by our funding partners, Clydesdale Bank and the Moorfield Group has confirmed our belief that the Audley retirement village model has an important part to play in the future for housing in the UK.

Bank bashing has been a popular pastime over the last three years and particularly during this bonus season. The banks will have a major part to play in the restarting of the UK economy and it is fair to say they are not yet playing their part. Finance is the lifeblood of the economy and companies cannot manufacture, build or restock without the support of the financial services industry. Forcing banks to lend is an almost impossible task but one that the Government is going to have grasp.

In its own way, the restarting of St Elphin’s Park is an example of what has to happen around the country. As a consequence of the funding we have obtained and our own commitment, contractors have been appointed, materials purchased and staff employed all of which will help the local economy.

If this happened across the UK we would be back in business.

Dear Mr Clarkson.....

2011-01-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

In his column in last week’s Sunday Times, Jeremy Clarkson raised the issue of paying for care in later life. More specifically his article highlighted the question - ‘who’s going to look after you when you can no longer look after yourself?’ A topic many individuals don’t want to consider or address until later in life.

With the cost of care increasing, Clarkson’s article referred to an idealistic scenario where, instead of remaining at home or being moved to an expensive care home, his mother and her friends plan to invest their savings in a ‘large country pile’ where they can all live together, sharing chores, the cost of bills, a private nurse and still have an asset to leave for their families when they die.

Creating a safe and secure environment with like-minded individuals is something we constantly strive to achieve at Audley. Although we won’t make you share the chores, you will have a beautiful main house within a few minutes walk, home to a restaurant, bar, health and wellbeing centre, where you can have dinner, get fit or just enjoy a coffee with friends. You will also have the option of tailored care packages as and when you need them. Most importantly, you will own your property, therefore securing you with an asset.

Retirement should be something you look forward to. It should be a about creating a new lifestyle which meets your current needs, with the support for the future. Mr Clarkson refers to this as a new concept, but at Audley, we’ve been doing it for years.

Happy New Year From Audley

2011-01-07T03:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Over the Christmas break, The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) released research claiming with the ageing population, in the future, many millions of us will be spending around a third of our lives or more in retirement. With this in mind, Audley is taking steps to ensure that our residents really embrace this stage of their lives and ensure a long, happy and healthy ‘third age’.

Renovation work of the main house at St Elphin’s Park village in Derbyshire will recommence next month and once work is completed, will be home to the Audley Club as well as eight luxurious apartments.

2011 will also see building work commence on our latest retirement village, Binswood Avenue, in Leamington Spa. 90 apartments are planned around Binswood Hall, a beautiful Victorian gothic building, which will be home to the Audley Club, with health and well-being centre to ensure a high quality lifestyle for residents.

What’s more, all our villages are embracing the New Year with residents taking full advantage of the Audley Club facilities and packed schedule of exercise classes this month as the post Christmas detox starts.

We wish everyone a prosperous 2011,

Nick

Festive Celebrations at Audley

2010-12-21T03:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas is finally upon us and a celebratory community spirit is in abundance across all of the Audley villages.

Staff and residents will be raising a glass to celebrate the season, with residents at Mote House kick starting the festivities with a Christmas drinks evening last week, where the champagne was flowing and canapés were a plenty. This week, residents at St Elphin’s Park and Clevedon will be hosting their own pre-Christmas drinks parties as well as celebrating with mulled wine and mince pies on Christmas Eve. Fun-filled times to be had by all of our staff and residents I’m sure!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas from all at Audley.