Scottish Housing Day 2024 – Homes for Life

This year for Scottish Housing Day the theme is Homes for Life. We wanted to demonstrate how the housing sector can better support people in later life as needs and priorities change. We have two tenants who were happy to tell us how big changes in their lives meant a move to Dovecot Court, Eildon’s Extra Care Housing service in Peebles suited them, and how they are settling into a new life there.

Margaret is enthusiastic about her move to Dovecot Court. Margaret’s son Jim explains that his mum was very attached to the family home in Innerleithen especially the garden – but over time it gradually became too much. Margaret sustained a bad fall, serious illness, followed by a stroke, and the family knew something had to change – the maintaining of the house and the garden was becoming more of a burden than a joy. Margaret said she wanted to live close to her daughter in Peebles and at that time there were no vacancies at Dovecot Court, but she put her name down.

By the time Margaret was offered a flat at Dovecot Court, Jim explained his mum had drastically lost mobility and was in a wheelchair. However, the move has revitalised her. The flat has a great aspect overlooking lovely scenery, and Margaret has access to the communal garden when she wants to sit outside, without the worry of maintaining it. Margaret is gradually getting fitter and can now manage to walk around her flat and use her walker to get around outside. She enjoys the social aspects of living at Dovecot and says the staff are great. She does her exercises every morning and her motto is never give up! She explained that she had been driving her car until she was 90 (she is now 92!) and used to go dancing three times a week – ballroom, sequence, and line dancing as well as swimming three times a week. Margaret says she has a great life and is ‘a happy bunny in her new burrow!’ A final benefit of living at Dovecot means Margaret knows lots of people, and if she doesn’t yet know them, she introduces herself. In fact, her old next-door neighbour from Innerleithen Amy is now also a neighbour at Dovecot Court.

Amy described the circumstances surrounding her move to Dovecot Court after having been in hospital for several months.   Her change in condition and lack of mobility meant that her home was no longer suitable to her needs.  Amy explained that our Extra Care Housing Manager at Dovecot Court visited her in hospital for an assessment and within a few weeks her family helped her to move into a flat at Dovecot Court.   Amy said since moving to Dovecot Court, she has found the staff to be wonderful and the care she so needs, is there 24/7.  An unexpected bonus is friends can pop in to visit her when they are doing their shopping at the big superstore next door – and on cue – one of her good friends arrives armed with flowers just in time to make a morning coffee.  Amy says she wants for nothing living at Dovecot Court.