WEBVTT - CARE AND INDEPENDENCE IN RETIREMENT 0:00:03.870 --> 0:00:08.299 Welcome to Rewirement from Legal & General. I'm Angelica Bell, and 0:00:08.299 --> 0:00:11.280 this is the podcast where we share colorful stories of retirement 0:00:11.860 --> 0:00:14.360 from people who are doing it their own way and 0:00:14.360 --> 0:00:19.220 loving later life. This is our last episode of the 0:00:19.220 --> 0:00:22.159 series, and I wanted to cover a really big topic 0:00:22.160 --> 0:00:25.380 for many of us. As we age our bodies and 0:00:25.380 --> 0:00:28.470 minds change, and that can mean we have different needs. 0:00:28.940 --> 0:00:30.900 Today, we're going to hear how you can plan for 0:00:30.900 --> 0:00:34.449 that financially and mentally and make sure the support systems 0:00:34.449 --> 0:00:37.970 you need are in place for the in case. We'll 0:00:37.970 --> 0:00:40.800 also hear some advice from one newlywed couple on how 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:44.120 they're looking forward to enjoying the happily ever after whilst 0:00:44.120 --> 0:00:47.529 living a full life, despite the limitations a disability might 0:00:47.530 --> 0:00:50.879 bring. And as always, the experts will be on hand 0:00:50.879 --> 0:00:53.280 to tackle some of the questions and issues you might 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:57.340 have around living independently and managing care in later life. 0:00:57.760 --> 0:01:00.540 I'll be chatting to Legal & General's Sam Roberts and Andrew 0:01:00.550 --> 0:01:06.980 Parfery from the care matching service, Care Sourcer My first 0:01:06.980 --> 0:01:10.810 story is from the incredible Feyi. Feyi is one of 0:01:10.810 --> 0:01:13.690 the sandwich generation who have their own retirement on the 0:01:13.690 --> 0:01:17.859 horizon whilst caring for a parent. Although Feyi's daughter is 0:01:17.860 --> 0:01:21.050 grown up and independent, Feyi's also thinking ahead of how 0:01:21.050 --> 0:01:24.270 she can leave her a secure legacy and make sure 0:01:24.270 --> 0:01:29.339 her own care needs are covered. Let's talk about your 0:01:29.339 --> 0:01:33.140 business. It's called Black Dementia Company, and it was set 0:01:33.140 --> 0:01:36.929 up from personal experience with having to look after your 0:01:36.929 --> 0:01:39.559 mother. So, tell people who are listening about that. 0:01:39.670 --> 0:01:45.459 My mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2019, but prior 0:01:45.459 --> 0:01:50.190 to that, I and my siblings started noticing some changes 0:01:50.190 --> 0:01:53.190 and we did feel that there was something wrong there. 0:01:54.210 --> 0:02:00.110 Even with all that, she's always enjoyed puzzles, Scrabble, Sudoku, 0:02:00.140 --> 0:02:03.130 everything, everything that you can think of, all those mind 0:02:04.290 --> 0:02:12.669 tasks, mind games. Well, over the first lockdown, I spent 0:02:13.120 --> 0:02:17.269 a considerable length of time with her anyway and I 0:02:17.269 --> 0:02:22.549 noticed that things weren't, as I thought they were, even 0:02:22.549 --> 0:02:29.070 say in February, 2020. So, sometimes I'll, " Let's play Scrabble." 0:02:29.970 --> 0:02:31.970 She might then say, " Oh, what do we do with 0:02:31.970 --> 0:02:34.440 this? What do I do with this?" I thought, " Okay, 0:02:34.810 --> 0:02:38.810 yeah." Or the crosswords that I used to buy, the crossword 0:02:38.810 --> 0:02:43.989 books and word search and all that, seemed to become 0:02:43.989 --> 0:02:47.010 more and more of a challenge for her. So I thought, " 0:02:47.030 --> 0:02:51.270 Okay, I know that there are quite a few organizations 0:02:51.350 --> 0:02:55.189 that sell products for people with dementia. So, let me 0:02:55.500 --> 0:02:59.040 just do a search and see." None of the shops 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:03.070 that I found had anything that was specific to my 0:03:03.070 --> 0:03:07.780 mother's background, which is from Trinidad. I say that, my 0:03:07.780 --> 0:03:10.989 mother's from Trinidad, but she went to university in Canada. 0:03:10.989 --> 0:03:15.389 She's lived in Nigeria, in America. So, she's had quite 0:03:16.130 --> 0:03:20.320 mixed exposure to different things. So I thought, " Right, okay. 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:23.370 There's nothing out there. Let me try and make my own." 0:03:23.370 --> 0:03:27.339 So I started writing my little quizzes and trying to 0:03:27.340 --> 0:03:31.269 do crosswords and things like that. I thought, " Clearly, I'm 0:03:31.269 --> 0:03:34.139 sure that there is at least one other person out 0:03:34.359 --> 0:03:37.820 there who's facing the same challenge as I am, and 0:03:38.070 --> 0:03:41.589 so I'll just do something, put it on eBay, or 0:03:41.590 --> 0:03:45.099 anything else." I wasn't even thinking about a business, but 0:03:45.100 --> 0:03:47.760 then once I started, I said to myself, " Well, why 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:51.430 don't I just do it properly and incorporate the company, 0:03:51.490 --> 0:03:55.050 set up a business, put some things out there and 0:03:55.050 --> 0:03:58.740 see what the response would be?" I guess the rest 0:03:58.740 --> 0:03:59.339 is history. 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:03.450 Well, exactly. And we know from research that that subconscious 0:04:03.450 --> 0:04:06.540 is so powerful for people with dementia and you have 0:04:06.540 --> 0:04:09.380 to tap into things that relate to them, that they 0:04:09.380 --> 0:04:12.560 remember from when they were growing up, or music. We 0:04:12.560 --> 0:04:17.299 know how music is so powerful and emotive, so I'm 0:04:17.300 --> 0:04:21.320 really glad that this business is thriving. So, what you're thinking 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:23.400 and what you're hoping is that your business will fund 0:04:23.550 --> 0:04:24.640 your own retirement? 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:27.909 So I am in a final salary pension, well, I 0:04:27.909 --> 0:04:31.310 was in a final, final salary pension scheme, and then 0:04:32.099 --> 0:04:35.839 I think I've got like two other pensions. I would 0:04:35.839 --> 0:04:41.570 like the business, The Black Dementia Company to exist. I 0:04:41.570 --> 0:04:46.320 mean, as I've said before, my hope is that it exists 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:51.460 long after me. It lives beyond my lifespan, but the 0:04:51.460 --> 0:04:55.419 hope is that it exists on its own, so that I 0:04:55.419 --> 0:05:00.210 can then step back, obviously continue to create if the 0:05:00.210 --> 0:05:02.880 need is there, but also just to enjoy life and 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:06.890 savour the years really, that's what I would say my 0:05:06.890 --> 0:05:09.500 future is. As soon as I'm able to, I will 0:05:09.740 --> 0:05:14.990 detach from employment, focus on work, let it fund itself 0:05:14.990 --> 0:05:17.179 and find time for myself. 0:05:17.860 --> 0:05:20.750 So, I just wanted to go back to you being a solo 0:05:20.750 --> 0:05:24.349 carer. Do you have any concerns with that and with 0:05:24.349 --> 0:05:28.479 your business as well, and work, and life? And helping 0:05:28.479 --> 0:05:32.529 your mom, has that made you view retirement differently? 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:37.369 Gosh, yeah, definitely to answer your last question, yes. Yes, yes, 0:05:37.370 --> 0:05:42.070 yes. I mean, I've always, just by my nature and 0:05:42.070 --> 0:05:44.599 I suppose everything else, I'm the last, we're four girls, I'm 0:05:44.599 --> 0:05:49.469 the fourth, but I've always been the one doing my 0:05:49.469 --> 0:05:52.989 mother's shopping, things like that anyway. So, I think I 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:59.160 naturally flowed into this carer role, but certainly now, I 0:05:59.409 --> 0:06:05.919 appreciate more than ever the need to prepare for your 0:06:06.070 --> 0:06:08.830 retirement, for your older years, because there will come a 0:06:08.830 --> 0:06:14.479 time I will have to ask for external help and 0:06:14.570 --> 0:06:18.130 I'll have to think about how what that looks like. 0:06:18.500 --> 0:06:23.460 Then also again, well, as you brought it up, Angelica, thankfully, 0:06:23.460 --> 0:06:25.559 but as we've more or less alluded to in this 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:29.189 conversation, once my role as a carer perhaps slows down 0:06:29.190 --> 0:06:32.279 or stops, then I've got all these extra years. I mean, 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:35.179 I do hopefully, but you know what I mean? I do know 0:06:35.180 --> 0:06:38.400 the after look after myself, even now as a carer 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:43.930 because the time is coming when, myself, me as a 0:06:43.930 --> 0:06:49.159 person, the demand to be physically at different places will 0:06:49.159 --> 0:06:52.299 grow. I have a daughter who I also ... I mean, 0:06:52.299 --> 0:06:57.049 she is concerned that I spend time looking after myself 0:06:57.049 --> 0:06:57.610 as well. 0:06:57.789 --> 0:07:00.580 What is wonderful about you Feyi is that to give 0:07:00.580 --> 0:07:03.690 of yourself, give everything of yourself to care for a family member, 0:07:04.140 --> 0:07:08.739 you have to be a selfless kind- hearted person, and 0:07:08.739 --> 0:07:12.130 that's what makes you wonderful and your story wonderful. That's 0:07:12.130 --> 0:07:14.930 why I wanted to ensure that you are being looked 0:07:14.930 --> 0:07:19.050 after yourself, but what advice would you give to somebody 0:07:19.050 --> 0:07:22.300 else who knows they have to maybe ... Or who's considering 0:07:22.300 --> 0:07:25.790 actually, looking after somebody they love or they know, and 0:07:25.790 --> 0:07:28.210 becoming a full- time carer? Are there certain things you'd say, " 0:07:28.210 --> 0:07:30.360 Actually think about that. Think about this." 0:07:30.820 --> 0:07:33.429 Carve out time. Which to be fair, I try to do. 0:07:33.650 --> 0:07:36.619 I do yoga, I like to meditate and all that, 0:07:36.620 --> 0:07:38.079 and I cover it out. It's either going to be 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:41.869 very early in the morning or late at night, just 0:07:41.870 --> 0:07:45.989 know that what you're doing, whatever you do is a 0:07:45.989 --> 0:07:50.239 bonus and it's okay, it's okay. I cry sometimes. I 0:07:50.239 --> 0:07:54.150 hate dementia. Obviously I don't hate my loved one, but 0:07:54.150 --> 0:07:56.980 I hate dementia. That doesn't make you a bad person. 0:07:57.350 --> 0:08:00.200 But if you can just not translate that to the care 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:02.910 that you're giving, then you're winning. 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:06.330 Really good advice. Also as well, making sure, like you've 0:08:06.330 --> 0:08:11.210 said, that your finances are in order so that whatever 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:13.930 eventuality might happen, you're prepared. 0:08:14.700 --> 0:08:18.220 Start now, carve something out, take a little bit out 0:08:18.650 --> 0:08:23.580 to put something away for later. One thing that the 0:08:23.580 --> 0:08:26.800 pandemic or lockdown has taught me, and from a few 0:08:26.800 --> 0:08:29.600 other people that I've spoken to, it seems that it's basically 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:33.770 the same in different ways, is that a lot of 0:08:33.770 --> 0:08:37.530 things, we thought we needed, physical things, your clothes and 0:08:37.809 --> 0:08:43.410 eyebrow plucking. A lot of things we needed before the lockdown, 0:08:43.569 --> 0:08:45.620 we found that we can make do. 0:08:45.850 --> 0:08:49.380 Feyi's got some great ideas for retirement, from living somewhere 0:08:49.380 --> 0:08:53.230 warm or near relatives, to traveling and pursuing her artistic 0:08:53.230 --> 0:08:57.410 projects. But first she's out to challenge misconceptions about dementia 0:08:57.829 --> 0:09:01.270 and make a difference to people's happiness with her business. 0:09:01.590 --> 0:09:03.760 You know what? Talking to Feyi made me quite emotional. 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:06.260 It's a situation that any of us could find ourselves 0:09:06.260 --> 0:09:09.250 in, caring for a parent or child or doing both, 0:09:09.699 --> 0:09:12.300 whilst also trying to work out our own futures. The 0:09:12.300 --> 0:09:14.660 way Feyi has set out to make such an enormous 0:09:14.660 --> 0:09:18.490 difference in other people's lives too is incredible. I hope 0:09:18.490 --> 0:09:21.100 if you're in a similar situation, you can find strength 0:09:21.100 --> 0:09:23.400 in knowing there are others like you, who don't have 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:26.729 all the answers and are just doing their best. There are 0:09:26.730 --> 0:09:29.110 loads of resources to support you. You can find out 0:09:29.110 --> 0:09:31.410 more on the website and check out more about The 0:09:31.410 --> 0:09:35.020 Black Dementia Company in the show notes or at legalandgeneral. 0:09:35.020 --> 0:09:41.540 com forward/ retirement. Next, we meet newlyweds, Heather and Alan 0:09:41.540 --> 0:09:44.499 for their take on staying independent in later life with 0:09:44.500 --> 0:09:48.059 different needs. They may be in their 70s, but that hasn't 0:09:48.059 --> 0:09:51.870 stopped them planning a life together. Alan's partially sighted and 0:09:51.870 --> 0:09:54.499 they met three years ago on a holiday organized through 0:09:54.500 --> 0:09:58.420 a tour company called Traveleyes, which offers independent trips for 0:09:58.420 --> 0:10:01.630 people who are blind, by partnering them with people who 0:10:01.630 --> 0:10:05.000 are sighted. Heather and Alan, I need to say congratulations 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:08.089 to you. I haven't said that yet, have I? That's exciting you 0:10:08.089 --> 0:10:09.559 got married, how was it? 0:10:10.100 --> 0:10:10.420 It was lovely. It was lovely. 0:10:10.420 --> 0:10:11.260 Yes it was. 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:15.689 Now, you're both in your 70s, which is an amazing 0:10:15.689 --> 0:10:18.070 time to find love. Tell me about how you met. 0:10:18.260 --> 0:10:22.969 Well, it's purely by chance really, because I was doing 0:10:22.970 --> 0:10:26.860 Nordic walking. I had arranged to go on a Nordic 0:10:26.929 --> 0:10:32.480 walking holiday to Swaziland, which was subsequently canceled. And about three 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:35.219 months later, I got a phone call from the girl 0:10:35.220 --> 0:10:39.459 who organizes the Swaziland bit to say, " Would I think 0:10:39.459 --> 0:10:42.869 of going to Swaziland as a sighted guide with a 0:10:42.870 --> 0:10:46.179 group of visually impaired people?" And before I went on 0:10:46.179 --> 0:10:50.410 it again, purely by chance, I lived down in end 0:10:50.410 --> 0:10:53.510 of nowhere. There was a thing on our Facebook page 0:10:53.510 --> 0:10:56.350 that guide dogs were looking for a My Guide to 0:10:56.350 --> 0:11:00.160 guide a blind gentleman around where I live. So, I 0:11:00.199 --> 0:11:03.819 got in touch with them and I started walking with 0:11:03.819 --> 0:11:06.699 Brian before I went on the holiday. So I had 0:11:06.699 --> 0:11:10.619 some experience of what it was like. So, that's how I ended up on 0:11:10.620 --> 0:11:14.410 the holiday, walking the Camino de Santiago, where we met. 0:11:14.410 --> 0:11:18.959 My first wife died in September of 2013 and we 0:11:18.959 --> 0:11:21.510 actually had a villa out in Majorca, which I used to go out 0:11:21.969 --> 0:11:26.359 to for several weeks at a time after she died. My 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:30.709 eyesight started going just as she was dying, unfortunately. After 0:11:31.020 --> 0:11:33.670 five or so years, it became obvious it was difficult 0:11:33.670 --> 0:11:36.300 for me to live in that house in my own, because it was 0:11:36.300 --> 0:11:39.860 a bit away from the nearest supermarket. I had to stop driving, 0:11:40.520 --> 0:11:43.499 eventually had to stop cycling, which was my leisure pursuit. 0:11:44.500 --> 0:11:47.040 My girl said, " Well, dad, we'll just have to sell 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:50.959 the house." So I sold it in 2017, and that 0:11:50.959 --> 0:11:53.870 was really the end of my overseas days at the time. 0:11:53.870 --> 0:11:56.140 But I happened to go to a Christmas lunch at 0:11:56.140 --> 0:11:57.880 the church and I was sitting next to a guy 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:00.939 who said ... he'd just come back from Kerala with a 0:12:00.939 --> 0:12:05.660 group of visually impaired people on a Traveleyes walking holiday 0:12:05.800 --> 0:12:07.770 and he said I should try it. So I booked a 0:12:08.209 --> 0:12:11.999 weekend in Bilbao just to see what it was like. And a 0:12:12.000 --> 0:12:14.839 bit like Heather, just signed up for the Camino walk, 0:12:14.980 --> 0:12:17.640 which oddly was something that I always fancied doing, not 0:12:17.640 --> 0:12:19.779 for any religious reasons, but it was just one of 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:23.639 those kind of Everest challenges. So, that's where we met 0:12:23.640 --> 0:12:28.880 exactly three years ago on the 28th of me, 2018, 0:12:29.760 --> 0:12:33.410 in the romantic setting of the Premier Inn in Gatwick 0:12:33.410 --> 0:12:34.739 North, that's where we first met. 0:12:37.429 --> 0:12:39.619 It's got to start somewhere. So, I want to ask you 0:12:39.620 --> 0:12:42.370 about finding love later in life because a lot of people 0:12:42.370 --> 0:12:46.849 think that's done, they're not interested in it, or they just think 0:12:46.849 --> 0:12:49.790 it won't happen. Is it something that you thought was 0:12:49.790 --> 0:12:52.410 a possibility or you just go with the flow with 0:12:52.410 --> 0:12:54.739 life and see what presents itself to you? 0:12:55.130 --> 0:12:58.739 Well, since I retired on health grounds at the age 0:12:58.740 --> 0:13:02.260 of 49. So since then, I've gone with the flow 0:13:03.569 --> 0:13:06.660 and then with losing my sight, you don't have much choice 0:13:06.660 --> 0:13:07.610 but to go with the flow. 0:13:07.890 --> 0:13:11.209 Alan lives in Glasgow and I live in Swanage in Dorset, 0:13:12.449 --> 0:13:16.510 417 miles apart. So when we did start getting together, 0:13:16.510 --> 0:13:20.030 it was a rather lot of flights back and forth. So 0:13:20.030 --> 0:13:23.139 we would start off by doing a few weeks in 0:13:23.140 --> 0:13:26.260 each place, a few weeks on our own. As Alan's 0:13:26.260 --> 0:13:28.770 sight got worse, we spent more and more time together. 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:34.899 Really, we were thrown together as it were, by the COVID- 0:13:35.300 --> 0:13:40.589 19 pandemic. We reckoned, if we survived that 24 hours 0:13:40.589 --> 0:13:44.410 a day for almost a year, we could survive anything, 0:13:44.420 --> 0:13:44.790 I think. 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:48.839 Yes, this is despite the fact that his first words were, " 0:13:49.579 --> 0:13:52.209 I do not want to live with anyone or get married 0:13:52.209 --> 0:13:54.260 again." So I said, " Well, that's fine because neither do 0:13:54.260 --> 0:13:57.969 I," because at the time I wasn't intending on getting 0:13:57.969 --> 0:14:01.569 involved with anybody. So look what happened, three years later. 0:14:02.209 --> 0:14:04.629 Three years later, you've both gone back on your words. 0:14:04.839 --> 0:14:07.239 What was it, Alan, that made you change your mind? 0:14:07.270 --> 0:14:12.069 Well, we just decided it was the right thing to do. You know, people change, 0:14:12.069 --> 0:14:13.160 times change. 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:16.829 It just seemed the sensible thing to do, really, just 0:14:17.860 --> 0:14:19.290 move together, if you like. 0:14:19.570 --> 0:14:22.340 To get a base together where you can grow, get 0:14:22.340 --> 0:14:25.509 married, and start another chapter of your life. And Alan, 0:14:25.510 --> 0:14:28.950 I want to talk about you and the changes in your life because many 0:14:28.950 --> 0:14:33.070 people can forget to think about their changing support needs as they 0:14:33.070 --> 0:14:35.489 get older, but as a partially sighted person, do you 0:14:35.490 --> 0:14:37.749 think you've been more aware of this? 0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:40.890 Yeah, so look, comes gradually. As I say, when I 0:14:40.890 --> 0:14:45.030 started losing my sight in May, 2013, was the first 0:14:45.030 --> 0:14:48.620 time I noticed it, when my peripheral vision was just a bit 0:14:48.620 --> 0:14:53.010 dodgy. It probably took two to three years before it 0:14:53.010 --> 0:14:56.530 really had an impact, had to start relying on other 0:14:56.530 --> 0:14:59.900 people to do things. My daughters both live in Glasgow, 0:15:00.020 --> 0:15:04.470 but I have six grandchildren as well. Yeah, it does 0:15:04.470 --> 0:15:08.090 become limiting in the sense that you can't just jump in 0:15:08.090 --> 0:15:11.320 a car and drive somewhere. I cooked for myself and 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:14.210 cooked quite well, I thought for myself. I didn't have 0:15:14.210 --> 0:15:16.790 ready meals or anything like that, but that became more and 0:15:16.940 --> 0:15:17.270 more difficult. 0:15:17.729 --> 0:15:21.310 But it seems Alan, that you still tried to hold onto 0:15:21.310 --> 0:15:24.470 your independence for as long as possible. Even when you first got 0:15:24.470 --> 0:15:28.560 diagnosed, you said that you still wanted to do things and you want to do that 0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:30.129 for as long as possible really? 0:15:30.350 --> 0:15:32.300 Well, I think Heather will tell you, yes, I try and be 0:15:32.300 --> 0:15:36.800 a bit too independent sometimes. But up until recently, I've 0:15:36.800 --> 0:15:39.370 managed to be fairly independent. I could go out walking 0:15:39.370 --> 0:15:41.260 on my own. If I had to go to the 0:15:41.260 --> 0:15:44.840 doctor or a bit of shopping, it's more difficult now, 0:15:45.490 --> 0:15:46.420 there's no question about that. 0:15:47.229 --> 0:15:50.920 Well Heather, how do you support each other with your different needs? How does 0:15:50.920 --> 0:15:51.340 it work? 0:15:51.750 --> 0:15:54.790 I guide him everywhere. I am his eyes, so I 0:15:54.800 --> 0:15:57.190 will tell him there's a curb, there's car coming, we've 0:15:57.190 --> 0:16:00.030 got to wait to cross and things like that. But 0:16:00.030 --> 0:16:03.160 about the home, if you're talking about cooking. If he's 0:16:03.160 --> 0:16:05.739 going to cook something, I would get everything out and 0:16:05.740 --> 0:16:08.280 lay it out for him. I would put oil in 0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:12.220 the pan, but he can do mostly the rest himself. 0:16:12.410 --> 0:16:14.460 I think the most important thing is I have to 0:16:14.460 --> 0:16:17.490 make sure I put things back where they came from, 0:16:17.750 --> 0:16:20.560 rather than putting them somewhere else or leaving them out, 0:16:20.740 --> 0:16:22.830 which is not always easy. Or I'll have to tell 0:16:22.830 --> 0:16:25.520 him if I've left a cupboard open, or a door 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:28.420 open or something, or something on the floor so he 0:16:28.420 --> 0:16:31.180 doesn't fall over it, because he can't see it and 0:16:31.180 --> 0:16:33.250 I have to be more aware of that. I think 0:16:33.250 --> 0:16:36.050 that's probably the main thing. And we have to plan a 0:16:36.050 --> 0:16:37.190 bit more, yes. 0:16:37.330 --> 0:16:39.720 So what is your plan for later in life? If you 0:16:39.720 --> 0:16:41.970 do need more care or support, do you plan to 0:16:41.970 --> 0:16:45.160 continue living as independently as you do now? Or do 0:16:45.160 --> 0:16:48.810 you have an idea of how things could be, or 0:16:49.420 --> 0:16:51.739 you might be open to other options? 0:16:51.880 --> 0:16:54.930 Well, we've just moved to a new flat and it's a 0:16:54.930 --> 0:16:58.040 brand new flat. It's a second floor flat, but there 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:01.210 is a lift. So, we did make sure there was a lift. 0:17:01.210 --> 0:17:04.409 We do stairs whenever possible, but there is a lift. 0:17:05.780 --> 0:17:09.379 And because we're in Glasgow, Alan's family are all round. 0:17:10.609 --> 0:17:15.330 So his daughter, his elder daughter, is very helpful. She'll 0:17:15.609 --> 0:17:19.100 do shopping for us, come round. And one of the 0:17:19.100 --> 0:17:22.290 boys drives, one of her boys drives, and he'll come 0:17:22.290 --> 0:17:25.409 round and do things for us. We have another grandson 0:17:25.409 --> 0:17:29.050 who's very good at doing things for us. We're not 0:17:30.310 --> 0:17:34.010 planning particularly for if one of us has to have 0:17:34.010 --> 0:17:36.530 more care, we're just going to carry on and see 0:17:36.530 --> 0:17:39.730 how it goes really, rather hoping we can cope. 0:17:40.340 --> 0:17:43.060 I can manage the flat at the moment and I'm sure 0:17:43.159 --> 0:17:46.679 on my own, I can probably manage it, but I might 0:17:46.680 --> 0:17:49.520 need more support in terms of day- to- day living 0:17:49.520 --> 0:17:53.300 and cleaning and washing and so on and so forth. We've 0:17:53.419 --> 0:17:56.930 got some up- market equipment in the kitchen, none of 0:17:56.930 --> 0:18:02.219 which blind person friendly, it's all black. Some of it, 0:18:02.330 --> 0:18:04.350 there's no bleepers that tell you when you've pressed the 0:18:04.350 --> 0:18:07.750 button. Induction hob I think I'm getting the hang of, I 0:18:08.330 --> 0:18:11.970 can put one hob on, one ring on, but that's 0:18:11.970 --> 0:18:12.830 all so far. 0:18:13.669 --> 0:18:16.430 Alan, what advice would you give somebody in your situation if 0:18:16.430 --> 0:18:17.700 they're looking to relocate? 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:20.439 I think just make the kind of decisions you would in a 0:18:20.440 --> 0:18:25.020 normal. Look at what your circumstances are and what you can 0:18:25.020 --> 0:18:30.750 do independently, what you need help with, where your facilities 0:18:30.750 --> 0:18:35.940 are, shopping and so on, where your leisure pursuits are. 0:18:35.950 --> 0:18:39.679 So it's a question of making sure that all of 0:18:39.679 --> 0:18:43.769 these things that you're used to on a day- to- 0:18:43.770 --> 0:18:47.810 day or week- to- week basis are still conveniently to 0:18:47.810 --> 0:18:50.669 hand. Don't want to go out in the limb and then 0:18:50.669 --> 0:18:53.760 suddenly find that you can't go from your house to 0:18:54.830 --> 0:19:00.300 a leisure activity simply because you can't see. But yeah, I 0:19:00.300 --> 0:19:03.340 think just stay where you're comfortable staying, where you know 0:19:03.340 --> 0:19:08.070 what you're doing, where everything is familiar to you. That 0:19:08.070 --> 0:19:09.879 would be the best advice I would give anyone. 0:19:10.210 --> 0:19:12.779 Now what about financial planning? What were your thoughts and 0:19:12.780 --> 0:19:15.119 how did you go about it, to make a comfortable 0:19:15.119 --> 0:19:17.760 life for yourselves together before moving forward? 0:19:17.950 --> 0:19:22.570 Well, I don't have a brilliant pension, but I sold 0:19:22.570 --> 0:19:25.619 my house some years ago and bought a cheaper house, 0:19:25.619 --> 0:19:30.229 so I released some capital. Until a while ago, I 0:19:30.230 --> 0:19:33.090 was involved in a business where I got some income 0:19:33.090 --> 0:19:36.909 from it. I probably have more capital value than Alan 0:19:36.909 --> 0:19:41.600 does, but he has a good pension. So, together we work- 0:19:42.550 --> 0:19:42.551 It's worked for us quite well. 0:19:42.551 --> 0:19:46.190 ... very well together. We discuss our money, what we've 0:19:46.190 --> 0:19:49.659 got, where it's going, there's no secrets, there's no problems. 0:19:50.119 --> 0:19:51.649 It works quite well, to be honest. 0:19:51.649 --> 0:19:53.629 Do you know what? You just seem so relaxed, you're in 0:19:53.629 --> 0:19:56.070 that honeymoon period where you know what you want and 0:19:56.070 --> 0:19:58.629 you're happy, and you're about to move into a new place. 0:19:58.629 --> 0:20:00.669 I wish you all the best. Thank you so much 0:20:00.669 --> 0:20:07.639 for talking to me and congratulations once again. As always, 0:20:07.639 --> 0:20:11.830 I'm so inspired by our brilliant guests, from Feyi's wish 0:20:11.830 --> 0:20:15.200 to help dementia sufferers in the black community while securing 0:20:15.200 --> 0:20:18.780 a happy future, to how Heather and Alan were united 0:20:18.780 --> 0:20:22.609 through their shared love of adventure and have formed a lifelong partnership 0:20:22.609 --> 0:20:26.580 from that supportive relationship. Huge congratulations to them on their 0:20:26.580 --> 0:20:30.240 wedding and new life together. Now, let's get some practical 0:20:30.240 --> 0:20:33.280 ideas and suggestions for how you can also plan ahead 0:20:33.530 --> 0:20:35.780 and make sure you're ready for what might be around 0:20:35.780 --> 0:20:39.439 the corner both financially and mentally. Joining me is Legal & 0:20:39.500 --> 0:20:45.649 General's Sam Roberts and Care Sourcer's Andrew Parfery. Sam, caring 0:20:45.649 --> 0:20:47.669 for your needs and the needs of others in life 0:20:47.700 --> 0:20:50.500 is a huge part of reality for so many people 0:20:50.500 --> 0:20:53.080 in the UK. So why isn't it a bigger part 0:20:53.200 --> 0:20:53.700 of planning? 0:20:53.800 --> 0:20:56.340 Yeah, that's a great question, Angelica. I think it's because 0:20:56.340 --> 0:21:00.340 it's such a complicated topic. So if you think about 0:21:02.929 --> 0:21:06.080 one's future, two things are happening. One is our retirements 0:21:06.080 --> 0:21:08.320 are going to look completely different to our parents' retirement. 0:21:08.480 --> 0:21:12.499 The structure of our pensions, moving from defined benefit to 0:21:12.500 --> 0:21:15.780 defined contribution. The time at which our pension will kick 0:21:15.780 --> 0:21:18.619 in is getting later. We're all living longer, but we're 0:21:18.619 --> 0:21:22.179 not necessarily living healthier. In fact, the number of years 0:21:22.179 --> 0:21:25.929 of life lived with poor quality of life is increasing, 0:21:26.290 --> 0:21:30.010 alongside our length of life. And the number of chronic 0:21:30.010 --> 0:21:33.139 conditions that we have as we get older is becoming 0:21:33.139 --> 0:21:36.679 more and more of an issue. So, I think picturing the 0:21:36.690 --> 0:21:39.149 future is sometimes quite tricky because all of these variables 0:21:39.149 --> 0:21:41.580 are changing. That's the one thing. And then the other 0:21:41.580 --> 0:21:45.750 thing is trying to understand what you will need at 0:21:45.750 --> 0:21:48.109 the time that you need care is also pretty tricky 0:21:48.109 --> 0:21:52.020 because you think you need to design what you need 0:21:52.020 --> 0:21:54.169 based on what your function is at that time. So 0:21:54.169 --> 0:21:57.100 for example, you may need something as little as a 0:21:57.100 --> 0:22:00.310 fall monitor, to figure out if you take a tumble, 0:22:00.310 --> 0:22:02.619 or an alarm to call somebody if you need help, 0:22:03.260 --> 0:22:06.490 all the way through from ... or you may need home 0:22:06.490 --> 0:22:11.330 modifications, a wet room downstairs or a bathroom downstairs, or 0:22:11.720 --> 0:22:14.169 more handrails, or you may need somebody to come for 0:22:14.169 --> 0:22:16.090 a couple of hours, or you may even need to 0:22:16.090 --> 0:22:19.449 move into residential care. So, what we've ended up finding 0:22:19.450 --> 0:22:22.699 when we spoke to our customers about this is that 1. 0:22:22.700 --> 0:22:26.369 3 million people every year in this country do investigate 0:22:26.369 --> 0:22:29.679 care, but it almost always happens at a time of 0:22:29.679 --> 0:22:34.749 crisis, either in Feyi's situation where a relative is thinking 0:22:34.750 --> 0:22:37.290 about their parents and thinking about, " I'm wondering what the 0:22:37.290 --> 0:22:39.109 future will hold. Maybe I need somebody to come in 0:22:39.109 --> 0:22:41.919 for a couple of days a week," or the individual 0:22:41.919 --> 0:22:45.169 thinking about it for themselves. It's at that time of 0:22:45.169 --> 0:22:49.600 crisis that people need simple information, advice that they can 0:22:49.600 --> 0:22:52.600 get, and it all in one place. 0:22:52.899 --> 0:22:57.350 Exactly. Well, Andrew, let's talk about Care Sourcer. Why did you want to start this? 0:22:57.830 --> 0:23:00.790 Well, about five years ago, I was running my family's 0:23:00.790 --> 0:23:03.709 home care business. So that's a company that would employ 0:23:03.710 --> 0:23:07.669 care workers, train them, and then schedule them to go to 0:23:08.119 --> 0:23:11.210