Jewish Care’s Retirement Living schemes were acclaimed in the recent national Retirement Living Awards 2023, winning the Best Supporting Advice Award, presented at a ceremony with Alan Dedicoat, the voice of Strictly Come Dancing. The award recognises the work of the caring staff team, who are dedicated to providing the highest standard of support for older people so they can live their best later life at Jewish Care’s Retirement Living apartments.

Rachel Jones, Jewish Care’s director of care and housing services, says: “Whether you are on your own or part of a couple, you have the choice to live life the way you want to and become part of a rich cultural Jewish community, with your own front door. Retirement Living with Jewish Care provides you with a unique opportunity to live independently in a warm, supportive and inclusive Jewish environment.”

Later life housing with Jewish Care is designed to suit your lifestyle, making it easier for you to live an active, fulfilling life, increasing the amount of support as you need it. Your one- or two-bedroom apartment provides the convenience of living on one level in a contemporary home. Where there is a second bedroom, this could be turned into an office and later a place for a carer to stay should you need that support.

You can enjoy the wellbeing benefits of being part of a sociable, stimulating com-munity with a full activities programme for a wide range of interests, as well as everything that makes life easier, such as laundry facilities, concierge, support on-hand that can be tailored to your needs and a 24-hour on-call support team on-site if needed. The apartments have kitchens equipped with integrated appliances; wet rooms and balconies with space for potted gardens. Depending on location, there will be beautiful courtyards and landscaped gardens.

As the Retirement Living Award recognises, Jewish Care offers support with what can be an emotional and physical upheaval, perhaps moving from a home of 40-plus years. The Jewish Care teams hold meetings with close relatives, explaining activities, arrangements for care packages, Jewish, communal and social life and the services available in Jewish Care’s apartments and care campus. You can look around the schemes virtually before arranging to come in for a visit and meet other tenants at lunch. The team are there to welcome and support you, to ensure prospective new tenants understand each stage of the process and to make it as smooth a transition as possible.

There is even the opportunity for people to rent their property, so they can choose to sell their house or retain the family home as a legacy for loved ones. This also means avoiding the initial outlay involved in buying a retirement property and the associated transaction costs. Once you make the decision to move and set the date, Jewish Care’s on-site team will help with unpacking, moving furniture, putting up pictures and learning how to use the technology.

Bernice moved into Wohl Court five years ago; she has worked with the team to arrange more support over the past year or so, since her health needs have increased. She says: “Living here makes life a lot easier. I came to have a new home and to feel cared for, and I am, and I love where I live.”

Jewish Care’s three ARCO (Associated Retirement Community Operators)-approved Retirement Living schemes include its newest at Pears Court Retirement Living at the Sandringham campus — luxury modern apartments with views across Hertfordshire, with the Adrian Gordon Restaurant and garden, the walled garden and Piaf’s Garden allotment project and the Ronson Family Community Centre on-site.

At Wohl Court, in Hendon, there are 32 one- and two-bedroom modern Retirement Living apartments with wet rooms. They are close to Jewish Care’s Selig Court Retirement Living apartments, in Golders Green, which have a restaurant, hairdresser, gift shop and hobbies room — and are part of the Maurice & Vivienne Wohl Campus, with access to the programme at the Michael Sobell Jewish Community Centre and the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre.

Jewish Care Retirement Living is about so much more than just a place to live, it is the opportunity to join a lively Jewish community with support, activities to be part of, and a place to call home.

To find out more about Jewish Care’s Retirement Living schemes or to arrange a viewing, visit jewishcare.org/retirementliving, call 020 8922 2200 or email retirement-living@jcare.org