McCarthy & Stone is the UK's leading retirement housebuilder. Over the past 38 years, we have built c50,000 apartments nationwide. All apartments are built to help our customers keep their independence.
Our properties are built to the highest standard. In fact, we are the only UK housebuilder, of any size or type, to have been awarded a 5 star rating in customer satisfaction by our homeowners for the past ten years, via the Home Builders Federation (HBF) survey.
Elles House Wallington, London Borough of Sutton
Planning for later life. Finding inspiration in the heart of the community, Elles House is built to full wheelchair accessibility design standards and sensitively tailored to meet the needs and aspirations of those who require additional support.
Introduction
Opened in May 2015, Elles House comprises 54 apartments exclusively for customers aged 70 and over, offering a retirement apartment with on-site management services, domestic assistance, personal care and additional support.
The site was a former magistrates court and sits just behind Wallington High Street, adjacent to key amenities, a library, doctors surgery, and a pharmacy. It is a two minute walk from Wallington train station.
Elles House provides a team of management and staff on-site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to support residents' needs. Residents receive a weekly domestic service to clean their apartment, and can choose additional time for domestic support such as a laundry service or shopping, or for personal care packages such as assistance washing and dressing depending on their needs.
The on-site team is managed by YourLife Management Services (YLMS), a subsidiary of McCarthy & Stone Management Services, which is owned jointly with Somerset Care Group, a leading not-for-profit care provider with over 20 years' experience. Each of McCarthy & Stone's Assisted Living developments have a dedicated on-site estate manager managing the day-to-day running of the development while also facilitating various social activities.
Shared facilities
Shared facilities within the development include a restaurant offering a hot three course lunch 365 days a year, a homeowners' lounge, a function room, a secure mobility scooter store room, a conservatory and a walled garden. A wellbeing suite brings hairdressers and other health and beauty treatments to the development for the convenience of residents. A guest suite is provided for the use of residents' visiting friends and family, and a communal laundry room offers the use of washer dryers on raised plinths for ease of use to avoid bending.
Apartments
Within the apartments are a range of age appropriate, ergonomically planned features to assist with ease of living. Raised plug sockets, light switches that glow in the dark, a door entry CCTV system linked to the television, discrete emergency call system, simple kitchen appliance controls, electrically operated kitchen window opener, and level access wet room all contribute to the Assisted Living difference.
"At 92 years of age, I am so very glad I moved here - I love my apartment, which overlooks the pretty gardens and thanks to the lift access, I'm now much more independent and mobile than I was in my old property. It really is perfect here."
Toolkit
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Housing in later life: planning ahead for specialist housing for older people
This toolkit spells out the processes that could help the HAPPI objectives to be met - with particular emphasis on the role of local planning authorities. Supported by McCarthy & Stone, it has been designed for local planners and commissioners to use when planning for specialist housing for older people such as Elles House, as part of an overall local strategy on older people's housing, care and support.