Held in the run up to the general election, the visit forms part of Birchgrove’s continuous engagement with community leaders to call for parties to support the growth of the retirement community sector and to tackle the UK’s housing and social care crises faced by retirees. Also attending was Richard Diment, councillor for the London Borough of Bexley.
Birchgrove’s Managing Director Honor Barratt gave James Brokenshire a tour of the community’s onsite facilities, which include a restaurant, club room, library, wellbeing and fitness centre, hairdressing and beauty salon, and communal gardens with plots to grow vegetables.
Residents were able to meet and exchange with the MP on issues such as the need for communities to get involved with pushing for greater accessibility across the borough, particularly for those with limited mobility. James Brokenshire also reinstated that the reopening of a local post office was a priority for him following the closure of the post office in Sidcup.
Also discussed were wider issues such as climate change, his approach to dealing with knife crime and the impact of Brexit.
Consisting of 74 apartments for the over 65s to rent, Birchgrove offers an innovative and person-centred model to keep people healthier and independent for longer and offer a great lifestyle to improve retirees’ wellbeing and quality of life. Renting is a relatively new concept in the UK for this age group but the market for such homes is predicted to double over the next 15 years.
All one, two and three-bedrooms apartments at Birchgrove are fully wheelchair accessible, with waist high appliances for easy access. Modern bathrooms also come with en-suite walk-in showers with simple to use switches, taps and plugs. Each apartment is also linked to a 24-hour emergency call service for immediate assistance.
Regular events and hobby groups help create a community spirit, whilst the onsite shuttle service to the local high street and shops adds to the service offer. All residents are entitled to one hour’s domestic support per week, meaning a member of staff will help with chores such as cleaning, cooking, shopping or doing the ironing.
For those needing a little extra assistance, tailored care support will also be offered through homecare specialist Alina Homecare Ltd, who were rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission.
Rent includes concierge service, 24-hour onsite emergency assistance, access to the onsite facilities, phone line installation, and utility costs (gas, electricity, water).
For more information and to arrange a viewing please visit www.birchgrove.life or contact the team on 020 3929 5599.
