The Future Perfect Company chosen for the Design Zone at the Mobility Roadshow

We were thrilled to be invited to showcase our “Designing for the Future” University of Brighton student competition at this year’s Mobility Roadshow.

The Design Zone will feature examples of innovative and new designs in the area of independent living and is being run in association with the Royal College of Art/Helen Hamlyn Centre. Curators Denise Stephens of Enabled by Design and Hayley Smith of Such+Such Designs  are both enthusiastic champions of good, inclusive design.

Also exhibiting this year are the designers of the innovative laptop/traybag, the Trabasack.

Fantastic to be in such illustrious company!

About retirement – dispatches from the front line – Part 60

I am often asked if I enjoy retirement, my usual response being that I don’t especially recommend it. I was fortunate to have a career, as a publisher, that provided lots of colleagues most of whom I liked, apart from a few snakes. I also spent a great deal of time with authors and editors, mostly medical practitioners, whose company I greatly enjoyed. There is much there that I miss.

But retirement is not just a time of loss, which is natural enough, but also of opportunity – to move back to Yorkshire, for a start, but also to try new things, things unconnected to former professional endeavours. Being appointed an Independent Custody Visitor (ICV) by the North Yorkshire Police Authority (NYPA) was a real stroke of luck.

I have been able to stay out of police stations all my life, thanks to strict parents and an inborn aversion to the idea of incarceration, though I did once pop into Malton nick to hand in a wet tenner I found in Finkle Street one rainy day. Now I’m in and out of Scarborough HQ – nine visits in April and May, four more scheduled in June – and I feel less and less uneasy every time.

Police Authorities have a statutory duty to maintain ICV schemes, which are operated by volunteers from a variety of backgrounds, whose only qualifications are that they live or work in the authority area and are over 18. There are some disqualifications, of course; if you are a serving police officer or married to one, for example, or if you’ve ever robbed a post office, that will keep you out, and a few others.

The Scarborough ICV panel has thirteen volunteers, who undertake to make at least eight visits a year, to attend various meetings, and to undergo regular training. What we do is to go into the custody suite, talk to the detained persons (who can refuse to see us – we operate in pairs) to ensure that they are being given their rights, to legal representation crucially, and that they are being treated decently in respect of nourishment, adequate rest, medical attention if required. And all this in a clean and safe environment. What is it like in there, I am often asked. It’s just like you see on the telly – custody sergeants, raised up behind a counter from which they have a perfect view of their fiefdom,  from which they manage everyone, the willing and the reluctant, and take responsibility for the process.

I have to say, Scarborough is a cracking spot. Spotlessly clean, cheerful and calm staff who ooze equanimity, and roomy digs all en-suite. If ever crime disappears in North Yorkshire, and you fancy a few days in Scarborough, you could do worse than contact the custody sergeant and see if you can rent a room.

The food is not fine-dining, however, a possibility that had not occurred to one detainee I met who, when we discussed eating arrangements, told me that he was very fond of seafood and particularly partial to lobster. I didn’t tell the sergeant; he was still reeling  from the breakfast request he’d had earlier – poached eggs on toast, croissants, and a Mars Bar.

 Best wishes

 Howard

Homeshare Eden – a unique intergenerational project which is all about people sharing a home

With much in the news about the isolation of the elderly, Dean Raine of Homeshare Eden describes a unique and fascinating intergenerational project getting underway in Cumbria

Homeshare is a new scheme for Eden, Cumbria. It is operated by Age UK Carlisle and Eden, receiving funding from The Housing Action Charity (HACT). The scheme is part of HACT’s Age2Age initiative which supports intergenerational projects all over England.

The concept of Homeshare is simple; older and younger people sharing a home.

The idea is that an older person gives a room in their home to a younger person in exchange for help and support around their home.

The younger person (Homesharer) agrees to give up no more than 10 hours per week to help or support the older person. This help/support can come in many different forms. For example: housework, shopping, gardening, transport, cooking, DIY or simply companionship. In exchange for this they are offered a room in the older person’s house for minimal or no rent.

The older person (Householder) benefits from this arrangement in several ways, for example: gaining a companion who can help with tasks they find difficult, accessing services locally or the peace of mind which comes from knowing they have somebody to rely upon.

The younger person (Homesharer) benefits too. For example: they gain low cost or free accommodation. They find a place to stay near their place of work or study. They are given the chance to save money as well as gain independence. Ultimately they find a new friendship.

Homesharing offers different things to different people. Householders gain the choice to stay in their own home at a time of their lives when this may be becoming difficult. Homesharers gain an inexpensive (or free) housing solution. It’s mutually beneficial and nobody should lose out or gain financially.

Homeshare is monitored by the Homeshare Co-ordinator who finds homesharers and householders and matches them together. Successful matches are based upon rapport and common values. The Co-ordinator also acts as independent counsel – offering help and solutions to problems, should they arise.

Homeshare is very much a two way relationship; both people gain equally. The householder gets the help and support they need and the homesharer finds a place to call home.

To participate in the scheme both householder and homesharer must be CRB checked and references are required. This ensures that the scheme is as safe as it possibly can be.

There are no specific requirements to take part in Homeshare – just an open mind and a desire to help a person who is either older or younger than you.

Homeshare schemes have operated successfully all over the world and several schemes have already taken place in England. Homeshare Eden is unique as it operates over a large rural area in Cumbria.

We now have one share in place and it is going very well. The participants are incredibly happy with the arrangement and are due to be interviewed by The Guardian newspaper about their motivations for taking part in Homeshare.

For more information, visit http://www.homeshare-eden-district.co.uk/

Great coverage of Brighton student competition from West Sussex County Times

Some great coverage today for our “Designing for the Future” competition in today’s West Sussex County Times, illustrated with images from the two winning designs, the Living Memorial Stone and an electronic supermarket navigator.

The West Sussex County Times have kindly supported us since we won the Best New Business Award last year.

Their jounalists are also very clued in to the problems and issues that the ageing demographic presents and have been featuring many interesting articles on the subject over the past few months.  Well worth a read if you are ever in the West Sussex area!

Brighton students design products to alleviate loneliness in the elderly

We have just announced the winners of our second ”Designing for the Future” competition held in conjunction with the University of Brighton.  The students tackled many issues likely to affect us as we get older including loneliness.

Third year Jono Redden became interested in the impact of light on mood and in particular loneliness when he entered “Designing for the Future” last year.  As part of the Graduate Show this year, Jono exhibited “Pets“ which are lights designed to evoke the shapes of domestic pets such as cats. The lights are connected to the internet and in particular social media sites. The more of your friends who come on line, the brighter the light shines thus reminding you of a world (albeit virtual) outside the isolation of your home.  This is the first time I have seen the virtual online world made manifest in this way.  A really interesting idea.

Second year, Lucy MacDonald on the other hand was concerned with combating loneliness in a much more direct way.  “The Public Rocking Bench” invites the users to share the gentle rocking sensation of this piece of public furniture thus stimulating interaction between people and hopefully helping alleviate loneliness.

This design provoked much discussion as to whether people would share a rocking bench with a stranger and if so how wide did it need to be and where should it be placed.

Two very different but compelling ideas.

Buying property with family and friends? Legal expert David Edwards advises how to avoid problems

As the Bank of Mum and Dad is increasingly called upon to help first time buyers get on the property ladder, lawyer David Edwards advises how to avoid running into problems.

With very tight mortgage lending and lenders insisting on large deposits, more and more parents are helping members of the family to get onto the property ladder. And as well as families helping out, there is also an increasing trend for friends to purchase property together. 

How do you protect your “investment” and how do you regulate the arrangements between members of a family or friends who co-own property? 

The answer in both cases is a declaration of trust. 

This is a legal document that sets out: 

- How the sale proceeds are split when the property is sold. 

- Who can decide that the property is sold.

- What happens if one person wants to sell and one does not.

 - Who is responsible for paying the mortgage and other outgoings. 

- What happens if one of the co-owners dies. 

Just starting to think about these matters makes many people realise that co-owning or contributing towards the purchase of a property is a lot more complicated than simply writing out the cheque.

Our experience is that a carefully thought through declaration of trust is the best way of dealing with all of these issues, deciding what will happen at a time when everybody is talking happily with each other! 

The actual declaration of trust need not be complicated.  It simply records what the parties would like to happen in a number of circumstances. Although every declaration of trust will be different, typically they will provide:

-How the proceeds of sale of the property will be divided.  This might be, for instance, that the mortgage is paid off and then some money is returned to the parents and the rest is split.

-What will happen if one owner wants to sell and the other does not. For instance, the owner who wants to remain would be given three months to buy out the owner who wants to sell at an agreed price. 

-The declaration can also cover who should benefit from an increase in value as a result of improvements being carried out. 

Finally, at the same time the declaration is completed, it is important to make sure that the legal title to the property is registered correctly and the Wills of the owners are reviewed to see if any changes are necessary.

Having a declaration of trust can avoid difficult family and friend issues, particularly if relationships are starting to break down. They are invaluable to help protect the interests of parents or other friends if one of the owners becomes involved with, say, a failing business or a relationship or marriage breakdown. 

This article attempts to set out the main benefits a declaration of trust brings to joint ownership or joint funding of property.  As always, it is important that you obtain legal advice specific to your requirements before acting or omit to act. If you would like more information then contact David Edwards by email, djedwards@bbc-law.co.uk 

David Edwards is Managing Partner and Head of Private Client at Burt Brill & Cardens, a well-known firm of Brighton solicitors specialising in looking after people and their businesses. He is also a member of STEP the worldwide organization for specialist Private Client practitioners and is currently President of Sussex Law Society. For more information about David or Burt Brill & Cardens visit www.bbc-law.co.uk

University of Brighton student designer tackles dementia with reminiscence hub

We have just announced the winners of our second ”Designing for the Future” competition held in conjunction with the University of Brighton.  The students tackled many issues likely to affect us as we get older including dementia.

Chloe Meineck designed The Hub, a multi sensory device which stores electronically the soundtrack of a person’s life including favourite music and maybe even people’s voices and ambient sounds. These can be accessed randomly by pulling the differently shaped wooden handpulls.  The idea is to create a shared and engaging reminiscence activity for a dementia sufferer and their families.

Current research about dementia suggests that favourite music can help evoke strong memories about people, places and events which might otherwise be difficult to access.

This product is very appealing and is designed to become a precious possession. Not only is The Hub attractive, it also aims to encourage interaction between someone suffering from dementia and their family, doing for sound memories what Sarah Reed has done for photographs with Many Happy Returns 1940s.

For more information, visit Chloe’s blog: http://www.chloemeineck.blogspot.com/

More student designs from the University of Brighton – The Displacement Jug by Sophia Fong

We have just announced the winners of our second ”Designing for the Future” competition held in conjunction with the University of Brighton. It was great to see that among the entrants were some of the students who had entered last year, now in their final year.

Sophia Fong was amongst this final year cohort. Last year, she produced the beautiful wooden Pill Box. This year’s work is similarly elegant and explores how liquids can be measured by eye rather than by recourse to fiddly and often difficult to read callibrations. 

The Displacement Jug works by placing  different sized stones into a 1 litre jug to reduce its capacity by displacing the water. This transforms the jug into a playful measuring tool whilst still retaining its functionality and accuracy.  

In the same series, the “Graduating Carafe” measures identical amounts of liquid within variously shaped sections, allowing the user to literally ‘see’ how much liquid they are using.

The  “Mix Tumbler” has a fixed 25ml section within it which can be used to easily quantify a standard measure. A practical answer to fussy measuring of spirits or cordial.

All beautifully simple, elegant designs.

About retirement – dispatches from the front line – Part 59

Dear Philippa,

Social care for the elderly – it’s up to us

Last week I attended a seminar organised by the influential think-tank, the International Longevity Centre, about “Creating a market for innovation in care”. Having just watched the BBC1 Panorama exposé about abuse in adult care homes, the cost and quality of social care was very much at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

As anyone who is struggling to look after an elderly parent knows, social care as opposed to healthcare is not centrally funded by Government and is not free at the point of delivery.  As the population ages, the social care bill is getting bigger and at the moment there is no agreed consensus as to how it should be paid.

The funding of social care has been a political football for some time now. So potentially toxic an issue is it, that both the Labour Government and now the Coalition have encouraged cross–party talks so any unpalatable decisions are seen to be made collectively.

To their credit, the Coalition has been pretty quick off the mark with the launching of the Dilnot Commission which is due to report later in the summer.

Whilst we will have to wait for the Commission’s findings, it is inconceivable that Dilnot will conclude that social care will be fully funded. The most likely outcome is a cap on individual contributions which the media has suggested will be in the region of £50,000. This will open the way for insurance companies to design products to fund this shortfall but will also mean for many people downsizing or selling family homes to fund care.

As was evident at the ILC seminar, very many people are focussed on how to reduce social care costs and the burden to families of caring whilst at the same time ensuring quality. And there are some interesting projects underway. 

CareBank, which is being piloted by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, aims to encourage volunteers of all ages to help older and more vulnerable people live independently. Volunteers who register with CareBank and help out with things like, for example shopping, driving, housework and gardening can earn credits for their time which could then be saved for the volunteers’ own or their family’s support in the future or used for a range of different services and activities, e.g. free swims.

There is much to commend this sort of approach but as with all “Big Society” projects it raises some fundamental questions about funding, quality and whether people will be willing to give up their time in this way. It is interesting that CareBank uses a carrot approach so that volunteers can be rewarded with credits.

NAAPS on the other hand aims to increase the choice of low cost care services which are available  to individuals by supporting micro-enterprises. These are very small community services, set up by front-line workers or people with support needs and their families offering activities, transport, hot meals, advocacy or home help.

In reality much social care will be provided by families and friends. Dilnot has warned that over the next 20 years, grown up children are expected to spend 13 per cent more time caring informally for relatives, while demand for such care will soar by 55 per cent. Key to the effective delivery of this care will be the attitude of employers. Not only can employers help by offering flexible working, they could also offer social care insurance as an employee benefit (similar to health insurance) or provide signposting to carers to help them juggle work with their caring responsibilities. Employers could also encourage employers to take part in volunteering as part of their corporate social responsibility programmes.

Certainly there is much to think about. And the shift from State to individual means that social care is going to remain an individual problem. Are we all ready for that much responsibility?