I am a long-time visitor to EDF, but this post has prompted me to join and hopefully answer some of the queries in this post. My mother has been a resident of Dulwich Mead for 8 years and I am a regular visitor there. ? Dulwich Mead is made up of retirement flats, the only ?sheltered housing? element is the alarm system which connects to a central call centre. ? All of the flats have key safes. ? Close family members have keys. ? There is a guest room available for a fee. ? There are a number of agencies, both private and via Social Services who visit residents daily. Carers are arranged by the leaseholder. ? The lease does specify that the leaseholder has to be able to manage their own affairs, but I would say that many of the current residents don?t to a lesser or greater degree. When residents do leave, it?s usually because they have become so poorly/frail that they require 24 hour care. ? There is an estate manager, not a warden, who is there during office hours. Her role is to look after the building, however she provides a great deal of support to the residents way over and above her job description. I know that she has refused to endorse ?care packages? from Social Services in the past because they have been woefully inadequate for the resident concerned and more about getting them out of hospital quickly. She has also provided much support to those residents whose next of kin are unwilling or unable to, and to those who have nobody. The manager has to ensure that the building is working safely for all of the residents and some people find it difficult to accept that they can?t change the rules to suit their particular situation. Our family have always found her to be incredibly accommodating and a huge asset to Dulwich Mead. ?The building has had a long-term programme of improvements and is in good condition. If any large-scale repairs not covered by the monthly service charges are required, they are put out to tender and the residents vote for their preferred option. My feeling is that on the whole, it?s quite a harmonious place, the building is secure and well-maintained. The residents can be as involved in the community as they choose to be - there are regular social events throughout the year (often arranged by the Manager) and people seem to be quite engaged. I would definitely recommend Dulwich Mead, but would advise that people need to be realistic in their expectations of what a retirement flat offers. Hope that helps.
