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WHERE TO GET HELP: HOUSING
Housing is often taken for granted until a family member becomes either mentally or physically disabled. The problems associated with stairs and lifts then become very apparent. With confused elderly people the difficulties may be different. The stairs may still pose a problem but there are other areas of concern such as the person wandering out into a busy road or disturbing the neighbors by knocking on their doors. Small rooms mean that there may be difficulties with installing aids and adaptations; in contrast, many elderly people find themselves in accommodation with too many rooms after family members have moved out or died.
Private and public housing each have their own set of problems. It is no exaggeration that one should think about one's housing needs as an elderly person (perhaps with some disability) very early on, well before reaching that stage. The physical layout of the house is only one part of the equation, though. The closeness of friends and relatives is very important, especially when an informal network is needed in a crisis. Shops, parks and leisure facilities, as well as transport, all have to be taken into account (in that group of the population who have a choice over these sorts of things). And there are increasing fears of break-ins and violence generally, the media especially painting a picture of the old and frail as victims; this leads to many frightened and housebound people, even though the statistics show that it is still the younger groups in society that are the most vulnerable to muggings, etc.
In the public sector, although very stretched, housing departments will do all they can to move people into more suitable accommodation - ground floor flats with a garden being the top of the wanted list, although because of the fear of break-ins and where one partner in a couple may have a tendency to wander, increasing numbers of people are choosing first floor flats with a lift. The demand for sheltered accommodation is also rising.
This term 'sheltered' means different things to different people. In some schemes the warden acts as a relative and calls in on the occupants, all of whom have alarm systems fitted to contact the warden in times of emergency. This virtually provides some form of 24-hour cover. This type of accommodation is in the minority, though, and for most people in public housing, i.e. council housing, the warden will be employed to keep an eye on things and will definitely not be available throughout a 24-hour period. This confusion in terms and roles of the warden leads many people to enter sheltered accommodation expecting (or their relatives expect) a lot of supervision.
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GENERAL HEALTH
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