The UK's first Continuing Care Retirement Community opens today
At a time of great public interest in long-term care for older people – following the release of the Royal Commission report – the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust today opened Hartrigg Oaks, the UK’s first Continuing Care Retirement Community. These communities represent a new model for meeting all the housing and care needs of older people in one location. They have been popular in the USA and countries in Continental Europe for many years.
Hartrigg Oaks is located in New Earswick on the edge of York and cost £18m to develop. It consists of 152 one- and two-bedroom bungalows, all of which have been built to Lifetime Homes standards. The site includes a Care Centre, The Oaks, comprising 41 rooms, all en-suite, and numerous communal facilities – including a restaurant, coffee shop, library, crafts room, music room and spa pool/jacuzzi. The development was completed last September and all bungalows were reserved within three months.
Sir Peter Barclay, the Trust’s Chairman, said at the opening:
“We are delighted that Hartrigg Oaks has proved so popular. You can already sense a buzz around the site with those living there doing all sorts of exciting activities and forging new friendships. The Trustees always hoped that people living at Hartrigg Oaks would enjoy an enhanced quality of life as well as the security of having all their care needs met and that is exactly what seems to be happening”.
The emphasis at Hartrigg Oaks is for older people to lead independent and active lives, but in the knowledge that care support is close at hand should it be needed. Support is provided to residents in their own bungalow unless their needs reach such a level that more than 21 hours of support is needed per week, when a transfer to one of the rooms in the Care Centre would be made.
Support in the bungalows can include cleaning of the bungalow, personal laundry, shopping, delivery of one meal per day, gardening, transport assistance and personal care services (including chiropody, aromatherapy, meal preparation, dressing/undressing, bathing and medication).
The financial arrangements are particularly novel. A range of options meets the different financial circumstances and aspirations of older people. One of the most popular options has been the agreement of a standard monthly fee which does not increase whatever care a person requires while living at Hartrigg Oaks: this fee is calculated on actuarial factors and is in effect a pooling of resources across everyone selecting this option.
Ted Grey, who moved in last June, said:
“Hartrigg Oaks has provided answers to many of the questions about our lifestyle for the coming years. We knew we would find it an increasing strain to maintain our previous home in the years ahead. The knowledge that care support is just around the corner should we ever need it, and that we are not going to be faced with a large financial bill if we require full nursing care at The Oaks, has taken away many of our concerns about growing older”.
At the opening ceremony, Sir Peter unveiled a full size bronze-coated hart, sculpted by Sally Arnup who has an international reputation for her animal bronzes. It is the largest ever sculpture of a deer in the UK.
Richard Best, the Director of the Trust, said:
“We hope that Hartrigg Oaks will demonstrate the value of Continuing Care Retirement Communities for the UK. Although such developments are not affordable for everyone and will not suit all lifestyles, we feel that they could prove the perfect option for meeting the housing and care needs of many older people”.
