Specialist apartment helps Jean, 80, regain her independence
A sprightly 80-year-old woman is ready to find her own place again, rather than a care home, thanks to a spell in a specialist apartment in Mansfield.
When Jean Cox initially moved to Mansfield from the seaside resort of Chapel St Leonards to be nearer her son, she lived in a care home.
“But it wasn’t for me as I was the youngest there and I’m still lively,” Jean said. “I found the place was slowly getting me down and I didn’t want that.
“My social worker said I could try out one of these apartments to assess if I was ready to live on my own again, and it has been great.”
The apartment is at Poppy Fields on Chesterfield Road South, an extra-care housing complex run by Nottinghamshire County Council that is offering short-term help for older people to regain their independence after illness or injury, and so freeing up hospital beds.
Jean said: “My flat is beautiful, with the bedroom and kitchen flowing into the living room. There are lots of activities and opportunities for a meal with my neighbours.
“I had to go into hospital for a fortnight before Christmas, but I’m now ready to have a place of my own again.”
POPPY Fields comprises 48 extra-care bungalows and apartments, funded by Nottinghamshire County Council as part of a wider housing scheme created by Mansfield District Council.
Some of these are used for the short-term assessment of older people such as Jean who, previously, would have been forced to stay in hospital longer or would have been temporarily discharged straight to a care home.
They receive 24-hour help and support in a real home environment to assess their ability to live independently, while efforts are made to find suitable housing for them. Some even return to their own homes.