spouse of scouse

for you, windsong.

windsong

Thank you.

sadie141

Maggie I,m over 70 and in process of moving back to uk after 43 yrs in usa....my husband died 9 yrs ago and if I don't do it now while still able, I may not be able to..and yes its overwhelming, but i.m happy to have found this be/site..it helps!!

windsong

Sadie, I hope things go well for you and that you are able to move back with relative ease. It's a big step.

I have been in the USA many years, too, and as much as I want to go back - and am - it's a daunting step, especially when you do it alone. It can be done, though.

sadie141

windsong, thank you, I.m taking my 2 girl cats with me also..its overwhelming, clearing out my house...making arrangements for my fur girls to get a pet passport, then selling my house, but I intend setting up a senior apt over there first hopefully. I have my niece helping me in uk, and a friend of 45 yrs who travelled the world, will help me also since she now has returned to England...yet I am having anxiety doing it all alone at this end...but I know its what I want to do...ive been back past three years and know now!!!

windsong

Love cats. I lost my two cats earlier this year but I am taking my two little dogs with me.

It's great you have been able to visit often enough to confirm in your own mind this is really what you want to do. I think it will help your move considerably. It's also nice to know you have two people over there already who care about you so you won't be alone.

I don't have any family left over there but I do have one friend in Scotland who will "sort of" watch out for me. Much as I love Scotland, I also love the southwest of England so I am not sure yet just where I will finally end up.

My job and living circumstances changed here recently so I am going home in about a month. Thankfully, I sold everything earlier this year but, even so, it is an enormous stress, so I can relate to what you are going through.

The dogs see the vet tomorrow evening for their rabies shots and to begin the DEFRA paperwork. I still have to buy their flight crates, by us all airline tickets, pack and throw away, and find a house-share over there as a place to sleep until I look around and see where to go.

I'd love to get one of those senior apartments, too, but I am not sure how to go about it. I don't know what conditions you have to meet to get one or even if they would accept my dogs. If they don't, my dogs are staying so I would have to look elsewhere.

While it is a move I want to make, I am at the stage where I realize there are things in the USA that I will miss and also that, as much as I want to go to the UK, there is a huge adjustment phase ahead of me.

One day at a time - for both of us.

sadie141

I will miss things here in the usa too...how can we not after so many years here, but I miss NY too after years here in fl.....I miss England, and am Blessed to have my sister and three nieces, and grand nieces and B.I.L and hope to live very near to them..walking distance, if I get the flat I want. You have to be 62 to apply and the place i.m hoping to get allows animals, or I would not go, since ive done volunteer animal rescue many years, and hope to do a little over there if I can. I read here where Virgin is good transporting animals, but virgin only goes to Gatwick from Orlando, and I think that's ok since my friend said she will foster them for me, while I settle up here. I have to fly back to sign papers whn I get accepted for a flat..my niece can accept for me but I must sign..she and my sister looked at one and sent me pictures last mnth, and I saw one while there this year. My friend tells me to focus on cleaning out but slowly while I have time so not to over stress myself....I read this recently, The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old but on building the new. I believe you must truly WANT to return to live there, to make it successful, but we must expect moments/days when we miss the usa, as we did when we first moved here...even tho we were young then and older now...I wish you well with your move and will look forward to reading about your experience getting your fur babies there with you...I have 2 shelter cats from where I volunteer, and the Burmese is extremely attached to me and I am anxious about her travelling.....do you know what kind of carriers/crates I need for my 2 cats by any chance?????

windsong

Regarding the type of crates, I think it is the airline you go with that dictates the specifications of the crate. They usually have certain criteria the crates have to meet, such as no plastic bolts. I know Virgin Atlantic has some great information on their web site about the criteria. I was looking at it yesterday because I would like to use Virgin if I can get it to work - where they fly into, etc. Here is the link:

Flying with Pets | Travelling with Pets | Virgin Atlantic

I didn't realize it was possible to get a senior flat that would take pets. That's great news! I might start looking myself. How does one begin looking for a senior flat in the UK while still in the USA? Are there specific web sites that show them? I would be renting, of course - not buying, at least not yet.

My pets are also rescues. One was born in a puppy mill but thankfully a rescue got him out at 11 weeks old which is when I adopted him. I got the other one from the pound. I love them dearly. Like you, I have done some animal rescue over the years.

I think it's normal to be worried about our pets when they travel on the plane. I know I am. This is why I want to use Virgin or BA. They have a great reputation flying animals, especially Virgin. One of the things to keep in mind is that not all airlines are approved to fly into the four major airports - Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester. They have to be approved to drop pets at these airports. You can find the list of who is approved to fly in where at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...air-routes.pdf

Also, some airlines don't fly animals at certain times of the year because of the heat. Every airline has its own restrictions.

Your comment about using our energy to move forwards is excellent advice. I needed to hear that.

Editha

On pet carriers -- there are IATA regulations which the airlines follow:

IATA - Traveler's Pet Corner

Editha

On senior housing: that is a rather loose definition which covers a lot of different arrangements. My advice would be that if it is a 'condominium' type arrangement where you have to pay fees for a warden and ground maintenance, often called 'sheltered housing' in the UK, then look very carefully at the fees. Often you don't get very much for your money and they have built in annual increases which outpace inflation.

My own mother decided to stay in her bungalow and pays for a gardener, cleaner, handyman etc. She has friendly neighbours who keep an eye out for her and she is much better off than her friends in sheltered housing who never see the warden and are often quite lonely.

Sally Redux

I have heard that about sheltered housing too.

My mum is like yours, the bungalow is great and she's always doing something with her pals.

sadie141

I was speaking to windsong about the snr flat I am hoping to get because its very close to my family. as long as I can afford the rent which does include fees for svce it will be what I want. I am hoping to sell my house here, but will not expect much because of the current market, even tho its mtge/free it costs a lot of money to keep up...IF you can find people to do things, so I will be very happy to rent in a snr flat. I have managed for 9 yrs since my husband died, and senior housing here in fl is not much different to England...if your talking assisted/living well that's VERY different....I hope to move to this place which only accepts people walking..in wheelchairs...or walkers....everyone needs to look at places where they want to live and depending on their daily health....I want to move back home with my family rather than move to snr housing here

Editha

OK. To be honest, I'm not sure what exactly you mean by senior housing, because it isn't a term that is used much in the UK. What you are describing does sound like sheltered housing. "Assisted living" is sometimes called "enhanced sheltered housing" in the UK.

I'm not trying to put anyone off looking at sheltered housing as an option, but it is important to look into the charging provisions very carefully.

sadie141

I wasn't actually asking for advice on housing since im just waiting for a flat to be available to me and im short/listed for one. Since im 72 and lived in the usa for 43 years, I use the term snr/housing cos that's what we use here, but actually it just usually means for 62 and over and that's what I hope to move into in uk...retirement/sheltered for 62 and over. Its overwhelming for me to do this since my husband died 9 yrs ago, and I do understand that younger pple and with husbands maybe don't get how overwhelming it is, but im reaching out to my generation now alone or anyone like me in similar circumstances to let them know its ok if you don't understand what expressions others use because of living in different places/countries, I'm just here to gather any help I can get and to give on my own journey...that its ok not to know or remember everything perfectly, since we are so very overwhelmed...but that this too shall pass...not everyone can afford to stay in their own home and pay for all they need...im moving to be close to family..we all have different needs when we become alone

Editha

OK. I hope your name reaches the top of the list soon and you get some housing.

As a preparation for living in the UK, you might find the Age.UK site interesting and useful. It has lots of helpful information.