Supervised apartments have been in use for many years now in the West. They are different from traditional apartments in that they are adjusted to the needs of their elderly residents, devoid of any architectural barriers and fitted with a number of facilities, including on-duty personnel alarm system. The apartment gives its resident access to a number of services, including cleaning, laundry or buying prescribed medicines.
What and how much?
You can already view a model supervised apartment and its furnishing because the first apartment is already completed. Elderly residents will also have access to common areas. These include a day room on each floor, a library, a gym, an arts room and a green inner garden that is invisible from the outside. A number of activities and outings will also be organised.
Prices for one-person apartment that you can rent only range from 4.5 thousand PLN a month. A two-person apartment costs 5.9 thousand PLN per month to rent. The latter solution is perfect for elderly couples.
"This model has been tested and recognised in the West, and it offers active lifestyle for citizens. Such solutions are now gradually emerging in Poland, and I'm confident we will make it," says Ron Ben Sahar, a partner of the Angel Poland Group developers, who are also Angel Care investors. As was emphasised by Mr Sahar and other Angel Poland representatives, a key reason for choosing the location was its vicinity to theatres, cinemas, the opera house, swimming pools as well as coach and train stations. "Elderly persons remain active these days and they want to spend time with people their age, to speak to someone, to enjoy their company and to lead a stress-free life in our centre," he adds.
Despite relatively high rent, the investors are confident in future success. They are already planning subsequent Angel Care centres. The target figure is ten such centres in the next five years.
"There is a growing interest, and we have already signed more than ten preliminary agreements to rent the apartments," says Angel Care General Director Michał Kowalski.
For dependent persons
Besides apartments for active and independent elderly persons, the centre also provides a rest home with a comprehensive dementia treatment centre for persons who require permanent care. The monthly rent in the centres is 4.5 thousand PLN per person.
Wroclaw is home to several public rest homes as well as care and treatment centres, some of them operated by Catholic nuns (the service is partially subsidised by the National Health Fund, monthly rent being 3 thousand PLN). However, candidates quite often have to wait for several months to be admitted.
Photograph: Eliza Głowicka
