Taking the toll out of supporting mum and dad

This year has been challenging and everyone is understandably anxious about the risk of infection from COVID-19. Life as we knew it has changed dramatically, but the pressure of supporting an older relative during lockdown was so overwhelming that Susan felt she needed to act quickly to put in place the right level of support for her parents.

Here, Susan tells us about her experience of helping her parents to move to Woodbank Apartments, Woking - a retirement community from specialist developer Birchgrove.

"It's been pretty non-stop for months, what with Covid and my parents' health. Mum's been in and out of hospital with issue after issue. And dad had also deteriorated because of his heart condition, especially after the first lockdown. They were both so worried about being alone, in case anything happened and we were running out of ideas on how to support them. In all honesty, I was totally exhausted. The whole thing has really taken a toll on my family.

"Despite carers coming in, mum and dad really needed the reassurance of having someone always around. We looked at Birchgrove because renting meant we could act quickly and move mum and dad into a furnished apartment, which gave us the time to decide what to do with their existing home.

"I really can't thank the Birchgrove team enough for supporting us through this process. Mum and dad are now settled into their new home and even beginning to join in with some of the socially distanced activities and make new friends. As a family, we're beginning to see the benefits too. I almost forgot what it was like to have a good night’s sleep!”

If you would like to find out more about Woodbank Apartments, get in touch with the team at Birchgrove on 020 3929 5599 or visit www.birchgrove.life