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What is assisted living?
Assisting living retirement homes allow older people to retain independence, while having access to support as and when they need it. If you’re looking for a new home in a thriving community that offers personal care and domestic support services, retirement assisted living could be perfect for you.
What does assisted living mean?
Assisted living – also known as extra-care – is private housing for retired people that provides you with support and services to make everyday life that little bit easier, while empowering you to maintain an independent and fulfilling lifestyle.
Assisted living usually includes a range of domestic services, personal care and independent lifestyle support that make chores and day-to-day tasks easier to handle. This could include:
The knowledgeable and caring staff in assisted living communities can create bespoke plans to help you with your day-to-day activities. In McCarthy & Stone Retirement Living Plus communities, these services are not compulsory, and you only pay for what you use.
Assisted living housing is the ideal choice for those who want to keep their independence and live in their own home, but need an extra helping hand in doing so. Another great benefit of senior assisted living homes is that they ‘future proof’ your later life. Our retirement properties feature adaptations specially designed to make life easier as you get older – so you can live an independent and healthier life for longer.
An assisted living development will not be suitable if you require around-the-clock care.
What is the difference between assisted living and independent living?
‘Assisted living’ and ‘independent living’ are often used interchangeably, but actually offer vastly different levels of support. Assisted living housing, such as the homes in our Retirement Living Plus developments, are designed to provide retirees with everything they need, all in one place. This includes a range of independent lifestyle support services such as domestic and personal care.
Assisted living facilities often provide on-site amenities, such as a bistro or restaurant. In some cases, they include a wellness suite, beauty salon, or hairdresser, too.
In contrast, independent living, which is supported in our Retirement Living developments, enables retirees to live independently within a safe, secure, and comfortable community. This self-sufficient lifestyle is ideal for seniors who want to enjoy the social aspect of a retirement community and don't need assistance with everyday life, but want the peace of mind of additional safety and security.
| Independent living | Assisted living | |
|---|---|---|
| Own private home | Included | Included |
| House manager on-site | Included | Included |
| Safety features such as 24-hour emergency call-out system | Included | Included |
| Domestic support such as cleaning, laundry and shopping | Not included | Included |
| Personal care such as bathing, dressing and medication | Not included | Included |
| Available at Retirement Living developments | Included | Included |
| McCarthy & Stone Retirement Living Plus developments | Not included | Included |
How is assisted living different from warden-controlled housing?
Assisted living homes and warden-assisted homes share similarities, however, there are some distinct differences. In warden-controlled housing, a warden or scheme manager will live on-site or very close to it and have access to 24/7 emergency help.
While assisted homes do have managers, they might not always live on-site – but there’ll always be members of staff around and emergency support is always available. For example, in our Retirement Living Plus developments, our Estate Management team is on-site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With both housing options, you'll always have someone nearby in case of an emergency.
5 benefits of McCarthy & Stone assisted living communities
Our Retirement Living Plus developments offer a range of benefits to make everyday living easier. Here’s five of the best:
Find the perfect assisted housing for seniors
Whether it's for you as you enter retirement years, or for parents as they get older and require more support, McCarthy & Stone makes it easy to find an assisted living community near you.
With developments in desirable locations all across the UK, you can choose the perfect retirement destination. Whether you prefer busy cities, suburban market towns, or quaint villages, the choice is entirely yours – so you can live retirement your way.
Our retirement properties are available to buy, rent, or part-buy, part-rent through Shared Ownership, so you can enjoy assisted living in a way that is in tune with your finances.
If you think assisted living sounds like a good fit for you, find your ideal Retirement Living Plusproperty today.
Alternatively, if you don’t need much daily support, learn more about our Retirement Living developments, which are suitable for more independent lifestyles.
Should you have any questions about our retirement homes, contact our friendly team today on 0800 201 4811 or send us a message online.
Retirement property types
Our retirement villages and developments are made up of elegant apartments and bungalows. All of our retirement properties feature thoughtful home adaptations to assist you as you age. These features are carried on throughout our communal spaces, such as lifts and wide doors for accessibility, and spacious landscaped gardens that are easy to get around. Whether you choose a retirement apartment or bungalow, your new home is designed to meet your needs now and in the future.
Our developments are conveniently placed in locations all over the UK, from big cities to small towns and villages, so you can find the perfect setting for retirement.
Retirement apartments
Designed to be a joy to live in, our sought-after one and two-bed retirement apartments are available for sale, rent or Shared Ownership.
Enjoy your own space with a contemporary fitted kitchen, spacious living room and sleek shower room. Some retirement apartments also offer private balconies or patios.
Retirement bungalows
With a single-story open-play layout, our popular retirement bungalows lend themselves to easy living.
Most of our retirement bungalows include a private garden and parking space. Many include garages. Some are part of a retirement village so you can enjoy extra amenities and a local community too.
Discover our retirement living communities
Retirement Living
Easy independent living for people aged 60 and over. You’ll be looked after by a House Manager and enjoy shared amenities and a friendly community on the doorstep.
Retirement Living Plus
Independence combined with flexible assisted living for people aged 70 and over. Benefits include a chef-run bistro and optional Lifestyle Services from laundry to pet-sitting.
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