will you return to uk or stay in spain

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Pamela1
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will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby Pamela1 » Sat Dec 06, 2014 10:40 pm

Having bought a property a year ago in the Granada area we are often asked by friends etc if we intend to eventually relocate to Spain and retire there on a permanent basis, as a matter of interest do any of you currently living in Spain plan to stay till the end of your days or do you intend to eventually return to the uk?

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby Beachcomber » Sat Dec 06, 2014 11:20 pm

We bought our first property here in 1982 and I haven't set foot outside of Spain for nearly twenty years so I am probably here to stay.
Let's go Brandon!

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby luckyjim » Sun Dec 07, 2014 1:19 am

We've been her in Spain since 2000, the thought of going back to live never crossed our minds. We go back to see family but we know when we arrive at Malaga airport, we are home.

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country boy
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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby country boy » Sun Dec 07, 2014 8:40 am

We will return to the UK for the closing chapters, not enough compassion here for those final moments and our children would prefer us to be home. Tricky bit is to say when :lolno:

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby gerryh » Sun Dec 07, 2014 9:17 am

Been here now for 10 years.
Can't, at the moment, see any likelihood of us leaving Spain.
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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby BENIDORM » Sun Dec 07, 2014 9:46 am

A difficult question to answer really.. :think:

Well so much depends on the changing circumstances of each individual so really one can 'never say never'.
We have been in Spain a good number of years and twice because of personal tragic circumstances have had to return to UK, but after a short time we returned to Spain.
We both love Spain and the Spanish people and although at times it can be very trying having to deal with the different aspects of blending in with a different culture, for us it is worthwhile and we don't really want to consider moving back.
However I can fully understand why some people would return to the UK and only they will know when it is the right time to do so.

And so life goes on, and may I wish everyone happiness and contentment wherever you are.
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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby Wicksey » Sun Dec 07, 2014 11:34 am

We often notice that people who have lived here for a number of years still call the UK 'home' and I always think that they are not fully settled here. Spain is home to us and the UK feels like a foreign country.

We have no plans to return but you never know what the future holds so it is difficult to predict what you may need to do when you're really old and decrepit. Certainly at the moment we generally hate going back, especially to some parts of the country where it is busy and full of traffic jams all the time, and can't wait to come home.

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby detourer » Sun Dec 07, 2014 3:59 pm

No even as ashes......... :wave:
Go to the grave in an attractive and well preserved body? Rather skid in sideways, women on each arm, champagne and credit card in each hand, body thoroughly used, abused, totally worn out and screaming …."WOO HOO, WHAT A RIDE"

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby markwilding » Sun Dec 07, 2014 7:34 pm

I enjoy going back. There are plenty of things I miss but if I went back permanently, there would be stuff I would miss about Spain

I expect to stay for the rest of my life.

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby turner » Sun Dec 07, 2014 8:30 pm

We've been here for 12 years now and love it, we also enjoy going back to the U.K. for holidays, Spain is home and we are very comfortable here BUT we are both in agreement that when the "time comes" and only one of us is left it will be a return to the U.K.

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby Pamela1 » Mon Dec 08, 2014 2:20 am

Thank you all for your contribution, I enjoyed reading them and fully understand those who call Spain home, my husband who is Spanish has been in the uk for 30yrs and also calls it home. Like Mark, he also misses things about his home country but he would also miss things about the uk too if he left, neither country is perfect but I guess home is where you are happy.

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby Laslomas » Mon Dec 08, 2014 10:40 am

turner wrote:We've been here for 12 years now and love it, we also enjoy going back to the U.K. for holidays, Spain is home and we are very comfortable here BUT we are both in agreement that when the "time comes" and only one of us is left it will be a return to the U.K.
I understand this statement so well. But whatever the intentions, things can change unexpectedly and it is difficult to know how you will be affected. My husband and I moved to Spain in 2001 and sold up completely in the UK. But he died suddenly in 2011. My first thought was that I would stay, and I did so for 2 years but although I had friends and neighbours I really missed my family more than I can say. I felt so lonely and all the things that we used to do together were no longer fun. I moved back to the UK and my years in Spain are such wonderful memories that mean so much to me, but I made the right choice for me. I am so glad we had those years in Spain even though we had some really difficult times with property purchases and the beaurocracy that defines life in Spain.

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby Beachcomber » Mon Dec 08, 2014 10:47 am

Selling up in the UK in order to be able to move to Spain is a big mistake. We would not have moved here if we had not been able to purchase outright and retain our UK property as well and, despite having lived here for so long, we would never consider selling it.
Let's go Brandon!

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby olive » Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:25 am

It may well be a big mistake but for a lot of folk it was the only choice. At least taxation matters are simpler. :lol:

I think it is easy to say " we will stay here and be buried here". The reality sets in when one partner dies. Managing alone, circle of friends (expat and Spanish), transport to name a few come into play.

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby peteroldracer » Mon Dec 08, 2014 1:13 pm

I am getting involved in what may prove to be a test case of the real support in the UK. My brother, 68, lives in a bedsit on his own, and I have just heard that he had what is described as a 'minor stroke' and has now come home after nine days in hospital. My OH happened to be in Leeds on a family visit so went to see him. Apparently his living conditions in his bedsit are pretty awful, with dirt everywhere, scruffy and inadequate clothes and a diet of microwaved readymeals, wine and cigs.
One option would be for him to come to us in Spain, but with us creeping into our 70s this could prove too much for us.
An NHS person has been to assess him, but it sounds like she wants to say he can manage fine, by her criteria, but no mention of any help with cleaning, repairing the shredded curtains etc, getting him clothes etc.
I have emailed AgeUK to see if they can suggest anything, but it will be instructive to see what general support is available for an elderly person on their own, with health issues.
This is the scenario many fear happening to them, and we all recognise that there is little available here in Spain. It will be good to see if the UK is any better.
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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby chrissiehope » Mon Dec 08, 2014 1:24 pm

I found my 'local' AgeUK to be very helpful when trying to help my elderly parents, and the local council can also provide help, but it is a bit of a minefield as no single entity ever has the whole story... :roll: :thumbdown:
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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby Free at Last » Mon Dec 08, 2014 1:32 pm

peteroldracer wrote:I am getting involved in what prove to be a test case of the real support in the UK. My brother, 68, lives in a bedsit on his own, and I have just heard that he had what is described as a 'minor stroke' and has now come home after nine days in hospital. My OH happened to be in Leeds on a family visit so went to see him. Apparently his living conditions in his bedsit are pretty awful, with dirt everywhere, scruffy and inadequate clothes and a diet of microwaved readymeals, wine and cigs.
One option would be for him to come to us in Spain, but with us creeping into our 70s this could prove too much for us.
An NHS person has been to assess him, but it sounds like she wants to say he can manage fine, by her criteria, but no mention of any help with cleaning, repairing the shredded curtains etc, getting him clothes etc.
I have emailed AgeUK to see if they can suggest anything, but it will be instructive to see what general support is available for an elderly person on their own, with health issues.
This is the scenario many fear happening to them, and we all recognise that there is little available here in Spain. It will be good to see if the UK is any better.
I know that the situation can vary between local authorities in the UK, so I hope things are better where your brother lives than they are where my family is based. During my father's final stay in hospital I looked into the situation regarding support at home in the event that he was able to be discharged (sadly he wasn't). Home care visits could be arranged, subject to an assessment of needs by Social Services, but this was confined to personal care only - cooking and serving meals, hot drinks, washing, dressing, toileting, getting up and going to bed. If the person needing support had savings over 23K, the care was charged for by the hour, and it's not cheap. Any other help needed, such as shopping, cleaning and laundry must be arranged independently and either done by the family\friends or paid for separately at whatever the going rate is.

My sister's father-in-law had a stroke and is being cared for by his wife at home. Until recently a carer from Social Services was coming in for one half day per week to provide some respite for his wife (who has health problems of her own), but due to cuts this has now been withdrawn, as has his speech therapy.

Here, where I live in Spain, at least 4 elderly neighbours have carers visiting them at home, employed by the Junta de Andalucia. As well as personal care, they do housework and take the elderly people out for walks, even take their dogs out for walks if they have one. The process for obtaining this support probably isn't easy, and if people have sufficient resources no doubt they have to pay for it, but there is help available to some degree.

Neither of us envisages returning to the UK to live, even after one of us dies.

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby olive » Mon Dec 08, 2014 2:09 pm

We have three elderly (86, 90 and 93) relatives in the Uk that live alone. (apparently over 50% of the over 75's in the Uk live alone).

We do shopping online plus delivered for two of them and the third shortly.

Two have four care visits a day and one two a day. It is a real problem as it all works well until the out of the ordinary is required. e.g. optician periodic eye check or getting a tradesman to fix say a broken light switch.

Peter- my best advice to you is to be there and learn the system. Age Uk/British legion are great for advice and support and a starting point. There are actually a lot of things out there for old folk , it is just getting stuff set up that takes the time and the time.

You have missed one good starting point. The brothers discharge from hospital. Social services in conjunction with the hopsital will have done an assessment. With no one else present from the family and British Bulldog " I can manage quite well thanks" it is easy to let the person drift back to obscurity. In my experience , once an individual is on social services radar then things can and do happen.

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby luckyjim » Mon Dec 08, 2014 5:52 pm

I think there comes a time with your life in Spain where you have to look very carefully at where you are living. We lived in the campo, but the reality of health, age etc, made us decide to move to the town. Things are delivered. We don't need a car. We can walk to shops, parks, restaurants etc. I couldn't go back to the campo now. I know that if anything happened to either of us, the other could cope.

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Re: will you return to uk or stay in spain

Postby peteroldracer » Mon Dec 08, 2014 6:00 pm

Our plans are the same luckyjim. My missus wants to be able to step outside the door, short walk to a meal or a drink, and no 50km round trip for shopping.
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