PX helps Pam and Tim get the help and support they need.

In our golden years, many elderly homeowners want to stay in their own home for as long as possible, making adaptations where necessary to continue to live independently. But, as we age, our medical and physical needs change, and there are only so many adaptations that can be made to a property before it eventually becomes unsuitable. Unfortunately, this is when tough choices need be made about selling up and moving somewhere that offers the additional care needed.

This is the dilemma Pam and her husband Tim faced, when after 23 years of living in their Peterborough property, Tim’s mobility problems meant their house was becoming impractical. Pam needed daily help to care for Tim, so they had to make the difficult decision to sell and look for somewhere that gave them the support she needed to continue her care for Tim.

“We loved the location of our house, close enough to the city, but far enough away that it still had an old village atmosphere with a great local pub. Our house backed onto the river, and we had a mooring for a narrow boat for many years,” explained Pam. “But, with my advancing age and Tim not being able to walk anymore, it meant we couldn’t take the boat out and I needed extra help to care for Tim. After looking at our options, we both decided moving to sheltered accommodation would be the best decision for us so we could both get the support we needed.”

Finding ‘the one’

Pam and Tim not only wanted to ensure the move catered for their ongoing health needs, but also to make sure their family was close by and able to pop in for visits. “We wanted to live near our daughter in Cardiff, she’s been helping me care for Tim for some time now and I didn’t want to lose that support,” said Pam.

Looking at options locally to their daughter in Cardiff, Pam and Tim saw an advertisement for McCarthy Stone retirement community that offered the facilities and assistance they were looking for. “We went to visit Thomas Court and fell in love with a lovely ground floor 2-bed apartment. It had a large hallway that was perfect for Tim’s wheelchair, along with an accessible wet room and patio doors onto the shared gardens,” explained Pam. “We decided pretty quickly this was where we wanted to be, and as it was close to my daughters house, it ticked all the boxes for us.”

The best option to move forward

With their dream property found, but their Peterborough home still to sell in order to make the move, Pam and Tim spoke with the team at Thomas Court to discuss their options. “I’d seen McCarthy Stone advertising Part-Exchange with their partner Spring and following a recommendation by the team, it appealed to us very much,” said Pam. “We didn’t want the disappointment of this move not happening, so by using Spring’s Part-Exchange service, we now had a firm start date for our downsizing plans and the move into our new sheltered accommodation.”

“I thought that the whole concept was good, providing a much-needed service in the buying and selling of houses. It alleviated the worry of the many ‘what ifs’ that are always present when moving house, and at the ripe old age of eighty-four and with a seriously disabled husband, I wanted the move to go as smoothly as possible.”

Making the move

Moving house can be stressful at the best of times, even with perfect health. For Pam and Tim, the move wasn’t just a case of packing boxes and booking a removal van, everything needed careful and meticulous planning to make sure Tim could be transported safely and comfortably to their new home. “We had a long journey, and I hired a private invalid transport ambulance. We needed to have the use of our house and medical equipment in Peterborough, whilst the Cardiff house was being equipped with the same items, so that when we arrived in Cardiff, my husband’s room and everything he needed would be ready for him,” explained Pam.

As a standard feature of Spring’s Part-Exchange service, customers are given a free ‘License to Occupy’ which provides an extra 28 days post completion to access their old property. And, for Pam and Tim, this was an essential part of making the move happen. “With various sources involved and making sure we had all of Tim’s medical equipment, the move took a few days and the license to occupy was essential at this stage. Once we moved all our essentials on the final day, I was then able to get a family member in to arrange for the house to be cleared and cleaned. We couldn’t have moved the way we did without the license to occupy facility.”

Our dream home

Now all settled in, Pam and Tim are thoroughly enjoying this new chapter of their lives. “We are both making the most all the facilities at Thomas Court and Tim can access all the communal areas in his wheelchair. We are delighted with our apartment; the kitchen has got all the gadgets we need, and the second bedroom has proven invaluable allowing us to get all of Tim’s specialist equipment set up. We’ve had a permanent ceiling hoist installed to help Tim get in and out of bed, plus there’s plenty of storage to house all the other things he needs, it’s wonderful and made our lives a lot easier,” said Pam. “There’s also a brilliant laundry room for homeowners to use and a large waste room with the latest re-cycling facilities.”

“Considering our age, I think that we’ve settled in quite well. The last unpacked box was emptied this week and I am now able to arrange things as I would like to. It’s a slow process and taking a little longer than I thought, but never mind, we’ll get there. We are very happy and couldn’t have made the move without using Part-Exchange. I would recommend Spring to family and friends, the overall service was excellent, and the team was professional, friendly, and competent.”

All the Spring team wish Pam and Tim many years of happiness in their new home.

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