Forum Topic

No postcode for young people

Reading about the new dementia care facility on Acton Lane made me wonder whether we have to start thinking about the dangers of becoming a hub for this kind of enterprise. I've nothing against old people, I plan to be one myself one day and care facilities have to go somewhere. However if Chiswick is perceived as specialising in them, there could potentially be negative consequences for us all. The police station development will see the loss of retail frontage on the High Road and this new development will also see the disappearance of the row of shops  along Chiswick Terrace. Fewer shops means less choice and ultimately a reduction in footfall. Two developments for older people combined with the existing homes around Fishers Lane is not necessarily excessive but, if this is the start of a trend, then we probably need to consider how this will impact the vitality of the area.

Felicity Caborn ● 6d12 Comments

It's sad but a lot of people do ignore their parents as well, we always took our parents out for lunch and places and enjoyed their company and believe me we were not treated special as children.

Janice Evans ● 1d

Wow. I can’t believe what I’m reading. I hope you lot never get old and need care. If you do, then I’d like you to remember these disgusting comments you’ve written.

Gillian Henehan ● 1d

"We're going to need more care homes, not fewer, as the Baby Boomers age and they have to go somewhere".Why not put them all up in 4 star hotels?

Brian Coyle ● 1d

"'will the Old Packhorse have to make allowances for 85 elderly people sleeping nearby?'What makes you think that just because you have a few more miles on the clock you obviously go to bed at sunset? Assumptions can be way off beam.............."We're talking about people who are in a sufficiently advanced state of dementia to need round-the-clock care. By the time my mother went into a care home, she didn't know which way was up and was too deaf to be disturbed by anything short of a nuclear explosion.BTW, if your hearing is bad, get a bloody hearing aid; it may just make a difference.

Susan Kelly ● 2d

Thank you, Vanessa. I was beginning to think I was outstaying my welcome by having the effrontery to still be alive in youthful, energetic, fast-moving Chiswick.

Colin Jordan ● 2d

My Aunt lived on the border of a school playground, I used to think the noise of the children was terrible but she said you get used to it.

Janice Evans ● 2d

'will the Old Packhorse have to make allowances for 85 elderly people sleeping nearby?'What makes you think that just because you have a few more miles on the clock you obviously go to bed at sunset? Assumptions can be way off beam..............

Vanessa Smith ● 2d

Oh dear what will they do about the airport.

Janice Evans ● 2d

Nobody can dispute that they are required but should they be placed in busy commercial centres. What guarantees does the George IV and the Fire Station have that they won't encounter future licensing difficulties when the police station development is finished and similarly will the Old Packhorse have to make allowances for 85 elderly people sleeping nearby?

Andrew OSullivan ● 2d

We're going to need more care homes, not fewer, as the Baby Boomers age and they have to go somewhere.

Susan Kelly ● 2d

I take your point but I did stress that I thought this wasn't a problem yet just one we might have to be aware could arise in the future.The line between care home and sheltered accomodation can be blurred. The marketing bumpf for the police station development will probably portray it as a community for sprightly elders but if it has a large proportion of bedridden residents it may prove difficult to attract that kind of tenant. We'll have to wait and see.The argument could be that these facilities will attract wealthy relatives who come to visit but there has already been a significant loss of retail frontage in the centre of town and, if this is the start of a trend, we may not like the consequences.

Felicity Caborn ● 4d

Chiswick covers a large area and we are talking about a few dozen households.It's also a very affluent area which skews, inevitably, towards an older demographic and, like it or not, we Baby Boomers are now heading into the years when we succumb to physical or mental problems which require support.The new development is a care home, which is not to be confused with sheltered housing, such as the police station or Fisher's Lane. Older people in sheltered housing are often still quite active and will be frequenting the cafés, shops and pubs of the High Road. They just want to know that someone will respond if they press their panic button at home.I'm guessing that the new care home will not be cheap!

Susan Kelly ● 5d