Viewers of the recent Netflix hit movie The Thursday Murder Club would be hard pressed not to marvel at the opulent retirement home in which it was set.
Residents practise archery, have three-course lunches and live in luxurious apartments – a world away from what many of us expect of even the best retirement homes.
But these so-called high-end Integrated Retirement Communities (IRCs) are on the rise as the UK’s population ages.
Residents enjoy the benefit of having good company, interesting activities and care if they need it – while having their own living space as well.
The trade body Associated Retirement Community Operators (ARCO) believes such living also helps keep people fit and active longer, and ultimately could cut the expense of intensive nursing home care. The average age of those living in an IRC is 79.
IRCs accounted for a fifth of all accommodation provided for the elderly in need of support six years ago – today that figure is close to half, according to estate agent Knight Frank.
ARCO says high-end versions account for no more than 1 per cent of this accommodation, but its popularity is growing.
Our manor: Marian and Michael Quick have lived at Danny House, inset, for a couple of years
Operators include Auriens Chelsea, Riverstone Living, Elysian Residences, Lifecare Residences and Audley Villages. ARCO members have a code of practice that includes full transparency of costs.
I visited Danny House in West Sussex – one such high-end IRC – to see what all the fuss is about. It’s an Elizabethan stately home that boasts a striking similarity to the luxury retirement home Coopers Chase in The Thursday Murder Club. The author of the book from which the film was adapted is Richard Osman, and his mother, Brenda, lives just five miles away.
The 429-year-old property is surrounded by 100 acres of the South Downs National Park and is also home to a flock of 200 Southdown-cross sheep and eight Tamworth pigs. A dozen llamas also peer over the fence – though are not ‘biting or spitting’ as mentioned in the film.
The Thursday Murder Club was filmed at Englefield House in Berkshire, which is also an Elizabethan Grade I country pile in a stunning location.
Sadly, there is no archery during my visit – and the croquet pitch and lawn tennis court are out of bounds due to the rainy weather.
But the house owner, Richard Burrows, is still able to bring out his 1936 Bentley that residents often jump in to get a lift along the mile-long Downton Abbey-style driveway to the shops in the nearby village of Hurstpierpoint.
Danny House was selected as ‘one of the most luxurious retirement homes in the world’ in a Channel 5 TV show last year.
It came out top for its country estate appeal and was deemed a relative bargain, charging residents from about £40,000 a year. By way of contrast, another featured home, the Palace in Miami, costs up to $200,000 a year – though to keep you feeling young it offers oxygen chambers rather than jigsaw puzzles.
Danny House caters for up to 50 residents in 20 self-contained serviced apartments, and costs between £3,200 and £5,000 a month. This includes three meals a day and being looked after by ten staff.
Stepping through the oak-panelled entrance there is not a Zimmer frame in sight – just a couple of walking sticks and an umbrella sitting in a mahogany antique stand.
‘No one likes to be reminded they are getting old, and residents are encouraged to use the staircase for exercise if possible. Of course, residents may need support, but we do not wish to patronise them by constantly highlighting problems,’ says Richard.
The Great Hall’s 24ft Elizabethan windows light up the dozen-strong Wednesday Book Club sitting around in a semi-circle. No TV is allowed in communal areas, but you are welcome to play the Steinway grand piano.
Although double-glazed with modern central heating, if you feel cold you can throw a log into the 10ft fireplace.
Despite the high-end touches, the price tag compares surprisingly favourably to the average cost of staying in a care home – now £5,164 a month, according to comparison service carehome.co.uk.
Resident Ian Dick, 82, shows me his two-bedroom top-floor apartment overlooking fields, that he shares with wife Suzy, for which they pay £5,250 a month. It includes two bathrooms, a kitchen area and laundry facilities.
Seventy-something sleuths: Viewers of the Netflix hit The Thursday Murder Club (pictured) would be hard pressed not to marvel at the opulent retirement home in which it was set
The former RAF Red Arrows squadron leader says: ‘Life has been good to me, and I have no plans to stop. But we have decided it was time to let someone else deal with the shopping, cooking, washing up and bills in the post. We do not sit around being idle. I am finally finding time to write about my family history.’
Michael, 85, and Marian Quick, 81, are also enjoying retirement in style – having sold up from their home in Cardiff to move to Danny House a couple of years ago.
They live in the two-bedroom apartment below Ian and Suzy and pay £5,300 a month for spacious accommodation that includes a 40ft kitchen and living area.
Retired RAF engineer Michael says: ‘The fridge is only used for champagne and the freezer for the ice. We have a stock of 220 bottles of fine wine in the house cellar.’
Michael and Marian pay for such extras themselves. Other additional costs include £200 a year home contents insurance, £174.50 for a TV licence – more if they want services Netflix and Amazon Prime, plus about £300 a year for internet.
Frailer residents may need extra support, perhaps help when getting dressed or using bathroom facilities. They might pay £25 an hour for this, with outside support coming from the local villages. Two visits a day, typically when getting up and going to bed, can therefore add £1,500 to your monthly bill.
Lunch is a treat – locally sourced stuffed chicken and pork sausages from their own pigs, presented with a side platter of vegetables. Today it is followed by chocolate tiramisu, a cheese platter and freshly ground coffee. There are also a couple of bottles of fine wine included – a fine Barolo 2020 – for our six-strong table.
Ian and Michael are discussing how they might later ‘walk to the pub and crawl back’ – rather than pay £12 for a taxi – by visiting The Poacher in Hurstpierpoint that evening.
Danny House’s sense of community seems to echo the camaraderie shared in The Thursday Murder Club by actors Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley.
Richard, who bought the 1596 manor house 21 years ago for £3 million, believes that his story – when he stepped in and saved the old retirement home from closure and the expected eviction of residents – is ‘remarkably similar to the film story’.
There’s plenty here to keep residents busy, with art lessons, a reading club, dance classes and Pilates exercise and yoga, as well as a weekly concert held on Mondays in the Great Hall.
Meanwhile, I’m off home to dial up my pension contributions.
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