Homeshare - a new way of independent living from Two Generations According to Age UK, more than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member. In this guest blog the founders of Two Generations explain more about homesharing as an option for older people who don't need formal care, to remain in their own home with help and companionship.  “Mum really enjoys having her sharer in the house and has said what a charming and considerate person she is. I am deli ..read more

With benefits and allowances increasing from 1 April, the start of the new financial year, now is the ideal time to spring clean finances and make sure elderly parents and relatives are claiming everything they are entitled to. Many older people don’t know about or are reluctant to claim all the allowances or benefits available to them. It can be time consuming and complicated looking into funding, but it is worth being persistent. Every year billions of pounds of benefits go unclaimed, and this financial help could help make life easier and more enjoyable in later life. Claiming allowances ..read more

Home care, or domiciliary care, is paid-for care received in the home.  The care provided can range from help with every day tasks to specialist care for conditions including Dementia and Strokes. Traditionally, home care is costed/paid for on an hourly rate. If you are looking for home care support for elderly relatives then our new Home Care Finder is a good place to start.  With over 11,000 companies listed and regularly updated, you can use it to find the best care providers, the services they each offer, and general home care cost information in every county in England.  ..read more

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our recent survey about your experience caring for an ageing relative.  From the survey results we now better understand your worries and fears;  also the practical solutions and things you are already doing, and some areas where we can provide more help. You can read more about the survey results below.   Over 50% of you worry most days about ageing relatives Nearly 80% of you spend more than 5 hours a week caring with almost half spending over 20 hours a week (35%) Over 40% of you are worried about what type o ..read more

January is a difficult month for many, especially the older generation. New Year, New You may not be the enthusiastic mantra for elderly parents and relatives who feel that January and February are particularly gloomy times.  We have put together 10 Top Tips helping the elderly beat the January blues.  1.Plan the year – sort out the calendar and get enthusiastic about the year ahead by putting things in the diary such as a holiday, an outing, or an event. Having things to look forward cheers everyone up.  2.Keep busy – this is such an important part of living well ..read more

Famileo is the family newspaper that’s letting elderly family members into the joy of their younger relatives’ daily lives.  Launched in the UK this summer, in this blog we find out more about “WhatsApp for the elderly”.  As we all know, family members can now regularly share updates from their daily life with one another. But this is all taking place online, on devices and apps that elderly relatives largely don’t have or can’t use. Famileo was the brainchild of Tanguy de Gélis, who was inspired by his own grandma after he bought her an iPad one Christmas so she cou ..read more

Many people are embarrassed when their parents dig out their old school reports and start reminiscing. But, for Age Space columnist James Thellusson, his old school reports were a trigger to a conversation with his ninety- four -year-old mother which he would not otherwise have had about his school days. What’s more the conversation inspired the making of a book – ‘School’s Out’. When my mum came to live with us in 2018, she brought with her several plastic bags filled with trinkets and bric-a-brac. It felt like an old bag lady had come to squat with us. ‘Do you really need all this old r ..read more

Taking Care, one of the leading personal alarm providers in the UK, share some tips on reducing falls among the older population.  Our elderly loved ones are much more likely to fall and the consequences are more serious than for younger people. According to a survey carried out by Age UK, 1 in 3 older adults cite falls as one of their major concerns. Another survey carried out by the NHS suggests that around a third of people above 65 years of age, and half of people over the age of 80, have at least one fall a year. The shocking statistics do not stop there and the risk is incr ..read more

Grace Carnegie-Brown, co-founder of Annabel & Grace, explains how her parents daily lives have been totally transformed thanks to the addition of  ‘an Alexa’ on their kitchen table.  To set the scene, my parents are both 92 (their birthdays are less than a month apart) and they live independently in an immaculately tidy bungalow in mid-Sussex. They have been married for 53 years. Both were married before they met, my stepfather twice. They are still very much in love and devoted to each other. However, their health isn’t brilliant. My mother has a very painful back and h ..read more

The last of the cheese and port has been consumed and for many diet & fitness are at the top of the January to-do list.   To help us start the year as we mean to go on, we’ve been lucky enough to chat to experienced cookery teacher and writer Beverley Jarvis, about her new book ‘Eat Well to Age Well’.   Who doesn’t love a cook book? Especially if it’s full of  quick nutritious meals (nothing takes more than 35 mins from start to finish) designed to help us feel fitter and healthier as we grow older. Included in this interview is even one of the recipes for delicious s ..read more