At a time when Andrew Dilnot, Chair of the Commission on Funding and Support warns that pensioners need to accept that some of the costs of their care need to come from their property and that downsizing should be considered as an option, FirstStop Advice for older people highlights that downsizing with a lifetime of possessions can be the biggest barrier for older people wanting to move to a smaller home.
Daniel Pearson, Director of FirstStop said: “Moving house at any age can seem like an overwhelming task. For older people, the move might come after 50 years or more in the family home which brings added practical and emotional upheaval. For this reason we have joined with long term partner Seamless Relocation to offer the FirstStop Moving Home Service.”
Charmian Boyd of Seamless Relocation says “We often find that people feel trapped by their possessions and don’t know where to begin when it comes to clearing out items before downsizing. Sometimes they just need a hand to get started and as part of the FirstStop Moving Home service we typically begin by making an inventory with them and then talking through whether they still need an item or could do without it. Items can then start to be distributed to family members, charity shops or to be recycled.
"Older people might have limited mobility and might not be able to access items on top of cupboards or stored away in the loft. By offering practical as well as emotional support we can help them to work through the house and the results can be very liberating.”
“Our main advice to people” says Daniel Pearson “is don’t leave moving too late. Those we work with often report that they have a new lease of life when they move to somewhere that better meets their needs. There is no need to feel trapped by a large family home - help is at hand.”
Amongst those to have used FirstStop’s Moving Home service is *Helen Green, who was too frail to return home following a stay in hospital.
The service helped Mrs Green, from High Wycombe, find new accommodation by arranging temporary residential care while she sold her existing house.
After liaising with Mrs Green’s family, the team also arranged for the auction house to sell items and for local charities to collect some furniture, including the mobility scooter and stairlift which she no longer needed.
Mrs Green said: "The FirstStop Moving Home Service and Seamless Relocation took care of everything - nothing was too much trouble. They recognised that I have good and bad days, so put everything in writing in case I forgot.”
*This is a real case but names have been changed to protect the vulnerable
FirstStop’s Moving Home service provides practical help and emotional support to older people who are looking to move and is currently available in London, Surrey, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, E & W Sussex and Brighton and Hove through Seamless Relocation. FirstStop plans to extend the service geographically through more partnerships.