The Home Straight - Independent living solutions for older people

Move & Downsize

We want to help you get on with life, be independent, connected, respected and live, for as long as possible, in your own home. With this goal in mind we offer:

• ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Helping you assess all your options using our ‘Home for Life’ Toolkit
• Advice on moving, downsizing to a smaller property or, if necessary, moving to sheltered housing, residential care home or nursing home including reputation checks to help your selection
• Organising all aspects of downsizing and moving you and your belongings to your new home including:
  • De-cluttering and helping you decide what you really want and need to keep
  • Recycling and/or selling unwanted items
  • Preparing your current home for sale including arranging for any repairs or refurbishments and signposting you if necessary to trusted trades people
  • Organising all aspects of your move including sourcing boxes and packing materials, packing up your belongings for you, organising and liaising with the removal company, arranging care for your pets if necessary
  • Identifying any alterations needed to ensure your new home is adapted for your needs, organising and managing these to completion, identifying, sourcing and educating you on the use of relevant adaptive equipment and signposting you if necessary to trusted trades peopleEnsuring your wellbeing in later life is as important as keeping as physically healthy

Paying attention to your wellbeing in later life enhances your quality of life and gives you a heightened sense of self-value and connection. It is as important as keeping physically healthy.

In addition to helping you with all the practical aspects of moving and downsizing, we also want to help you make sure that once you have settled in, you are taking full advantage of all the connections and activities around you which will enable you to thrive and live life to the full.

We understand that your wellbeing is nurtured through relationships, social contacts, feelings of belonging and being valued and that your independence is fostered through having choice and control over how you live your life. With this is mind we can give you advice on ensuring and improving your wellbeing and maintaining your independence including information which:

• Helps you connect quickly to and get involved in local community and voluntary groups, arts and faith groups
• Identifies local health and fitness activities relevant to you, your interests and your capacities
• Identifies veterinary practices, and other services relating to your pets such as dog walkers, and boarding kennels
• Signposts you to Holiday accommodation that is suitable for the less able
• Explains how you can access relevant health and social care services or identify private home help
• Tells you about local amenities and produce suppliers

We have experience of accessing Self Directed Support in Scotland and can give practical help with all aspects of applying for and co-ordinating an Individual Budget or Direct Payment.

Hopefully your new home will be everything you want but the chances are that you need a bit of help adjusting to the change. Our one-to-one coaches can help identify the main anxieties for both you and your family and work out the best ways of tackling them.

You can also join The Home Straight Community and receive regular e-bulletins keeping you in touch with issues relating to older people’s health and wellbeing. We live in an ageing society where people are living longer and the balance of life is changing, by 2020 it is estimated that a quarter of Scotland’s population will be over 65 so you can rest assured that there will be more and more focus on these topics!