'They thought of everything': Age-specific housing in East Cork

Gordon Lawson would “never have accepted a medal for a race not won” so the special commemorative coin that arrived this week to mark his 101st birthday will be returned with thanks to the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins.

So said his son-in-law Mick Lynch who was delighted to see Gordon honoured with the coin and a “lovely letter” from the President, but as Gordon passed away in December, Mick reckons he would prefer if the medal was returned.

“Gordon was a gent and I know he would never have accepted a medal for a race not won,” Mick said.

Mick, 67, and his father-in-law, who lived in separate apartments in a Clann Housing scheme in Ard Carrig, Castlelake, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, had looked out for each other after Mick’s wife, Gill, died of cancer a couple of years ago.

Mick and his wife had moved to Ard Carrig in 2009 when Gill was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

“We were council tenants living in Midleton and Gill couldn’t manage the stairs,” Mick said.

Then 100-year-old Gordon Lawson, right, and 98-year-old David Rowe, winners at the Age Action Silver Surfer Awards in 2018

“It was during the boom and we couldn’t get a builder to adapt the house so Cork County Council liaised with Clúid and passed on our details.

“Clúid was building an apartment block in Carrigtwohill at the time, so we put in an application and got what we wanted: a ground floor, specially-adapted apartment.

“All I wanted to do was see a smile on Gill’s face and she was delighted the day we moved in. We had a great seven years there together.”

The Ard Carrig housing is age-specific, for people over the age of 55.

This approach proved so successful that Clúid launched a new organisation called Clann, which separates out its age-specific schemes from its other social and affordable housing.

It is planning 800 new units, including some in Cork. They already have 700 units.

The units are designed to bridge the gap in service provision between housing for older people and nursing home accommodation.

They aim to facilitate independent living for as long as possible.

Mick Lynch at Ard Carrig, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, which is age-specific housing for people over the age of 55

Mick said from the day he moved into Ard Carrig, they were looked after.

The Clann schemes have on-site managers — Davina Mooney in Ard Carrig — who looks after the residents’ needs, organising day-trips to places like Bunratty and Coolea, and making sure people are coping where there is sickness or death.

“I was lost for a while when Gill died, but I would always get a call to see if I was ok,” Mick said.

A common room in the 33-apartment complex helps foster community spirit and Mick, a keen musician who played in a rock band, Monkfish, in the ‘70s, runs an acoustic session once a month.

There’s the comfort of the Tunstall Emergency Response service — simply a button for the resident to press in the event of an emergency — and there’s a dedicated customer contact centre operating duringnormal business hours to process rents, order repairs and provide advice and support to residents.

“It’s a lovely system. They thought of everything. You feel so secure here and cared for,” Mick said.

Features of Clann Housing:

• The principles of universal design are used so that it can be accessed to the greatest extent possible regardless of age, size, ability or disability.
• This approach means residents can remain in their own homes for longer and it eliminates the need for retrofitting or adaptation.
• It means a reduction in the capital cost of disability grants.
• There is also less need for support services.
• Schemes also include internal and external communal areas that encourage regular social interaction and combat loneliness.