Interview with Glyn Evans

"Downsizing and moving into sheltered housing has taken a huge weight off my shoulders.”

Collapsing in a queue while waiting for a Covid test marked a life-changing moment for Glyn Evans.

Glyn, who is 69, had been feeling unwell for a few days when he decided to walk to his nearest testing centre to rule out Covid, but while he was standing in the queue waiting to be seen, he fell to the floor unconscious and was blue-lighted to the nearest hospital.

Glyn posing for camera whilst sat on this sofa

“It was a terrifying experience,” said Glyn.

“I was in hospital for five weeks, the last time I’d been in hospital was when I was 12 after I had broken my collarbone. I’d have been gone if it wasn’t for Covid and needing to get tested, if I’d have collapsed at home, I dread to think what would have happened to me.”

Suffering from kidney failure, Glyn was very poorly and was bed-bound for weeks but thankfully he pulled through and is making a good recovery. Glen had been living on his own in a large four-bed house, a home he’d lived in for more than 50 years, but after his spell in hospital it made him, and his family, re-evaluate his living situation.

“After I came out of hospital, I was still too poorly to go home, and they moved me to Newhaven in Altrincham to recover and I was there for a good 7 weeks. I was so well looked after, it is a wonderful place – they even did my laundry for me, that was a treat! It is a truly special place, when it was my birthday, they arranged a birthday cake and sang happy birthday to me, I got really choked up.” 

However, when his health started to improve and he was able to return home, he knew he couldn’t go back to living completely independently again.

“When I was ready to be discharged from Newhaven, that’s when I knew I couldn’t go back to my large 4-bed house. It had become an anchor around me, looking after a house that size was overwhelming, I was struggling to cope with it, even before my health scare.”

Glyn eventually made the decision to downsize and move into a flat at Clyne Court in Stretford. Often referred to as sheltered housing, or Supported Housing, it is a popular option for those who want to keep their independence but have the comfort of knowing someone is on hand should they need support or advice.

Our sheltered schemes are multiple flats in one building, usually with a central communal area and are looked after by scheme managers, who are on-site during working hours. All the homes are fitted with a pull cord system, which is managed by the scheme managers, or when they’re off-duty our Alert and Response is activated.

Glyn said his move into a smaller and more manageable home has taken a huge weight off his shoulders.

“It’s been such a positive move for me, Janice, the scheme manager, is wonderful. I’ll get a call around 8:15-8:30am every morning to check I’m OK and how I’m doing. I’m still quite new here but I’ve already met a lot of the residents, and everyone seems very nice."

"I moved, not just for my own wellbeing, but for the rest of my family, they were worried about me. It’s been such a good move for me, and I am happy and feel safe here.”

While it can be a difficult transition for many, Glyn’s story is a reminder that making the decision to adapt to his living situation has had a positive impact on his life and wellbeing. Moving into Supported Housing is exactly that - a home but with support. You’ll still have your own space and independence to come and go as you wish, but you’ll have peace of mind knowing that support and advice is on hand should you need it. 

We have 19 sheltered housing schemes, which means you can stay close and connected to your community.

Find out more about a Supported Housing scheme near you.