Residents speak up about the value of wellbeing in housing-with-care in World Wellbeing Week

The UK’s housing-with-care operators are marking World Wellbeing Week by releasing a series of videos featuring residents and staff talking about their wellbeing and how their communities support them in general and during the lockdown.

During the Covid-19 Crisis the UK’s Housing-with-Care operators and their staff have been highly successful in supporting their residents, keeping them safe whilst also preventing social isolation. There is a growing body of statistical evidence that Retirement Communities were one of the best places an older person could have been in the UK during the lockdown – with care and support available in addition to the ability to self-isolate in your own apartment. In addition, operators made considerable efforts to provide ongoing support for social and wellbeing activities to keep people active despite the disruption caused by the virus.

The value which older people put on this support, care and independence has been well demonstrated by significant increases in demand across the country for housing-with-care.

To mark World Wellbeing Week ARCO, the representative body for the housing-with-care sector, is releasing a series of videos featuring residents and staff talking about their own experiences of wellbeing during in Retirement Communities.

The videos, which will appear on arcouk.org and on ARCO’s LinkedIn page this week feature residents and staff from the Extra Care Charitable Trust, Anchor Hanover, Audley, Retirement Security and MHA.

One of the residents, Michael, said:

“The main thing about living here is the community aspect and the friends that I have made as well.”

Another resident, Lin said:

“You’ll never be lonely here.”

Alan, another resident said:

“I honestly believe I will live longer because I feel relaxed and secure, I’ve never ever felt I’ve been forgotten for a day. I have more friends now than I have ever had in my life”

Michael Voges, Executive Director of ARCO said:

“We are incredibly proud of the way in which our members and their staff supported their residents and how they went above and beyond during lockdown. They have done an amazing job in keeping residents safe and secure but also supported and active.

“It is incredible to hear the voices of housing-with-care residents and their staff and to hear about their experiences. This is what our sector is all about. We want older people to be able to live active and independent lives for as long as possible.

“The last fifteen months have shown even more than usual the value of what our members do – we are working hard to give more older people the opportunity to live in Retirement Communities in future. “