On 04/09/2011 02:15, Steve Walker wrote:
On 04/09/2011 00:48, Steve Firth wrote:
Steve wrote:

On 03/09/2011 14:52, Steve Firth wrote:
wrote:

Actually, multi-storey flats and elderly people are an ideal match.

Precisely.

I know several multi-storey blocks of flats that are ideal for old
people. Sadly they tend to be in places like Marble Arch and are only
for the wealthy who can aford the annual service charges. They
manage to
provide clean public areas, lifts that are serviced and always
serviceable and security at the door. The big difference from council
accomodation is that they have 24/7 security.

This would all be achieveable in council owned accomodation and the
price of having 24h concierge/warden service would be relatively low
considering the number of individual homes in a multi-storey block.
With
adequate training and perhaps some imagination in terms of providing
live-in accomodation the staff could provide social as well as physical
security.

Nah. I used to have friends who lived on the 16th floor of a tower
block. If you just pressed the intercom 0 button and told security that
you were going to flat 163 and their intercom wasn't working, they'd
open the outer door for you.

They would at the blocks I'm thinking of. You'd get as far as reception
and then have to wait while they telephoned the flat to find out if the
residents were expecting you.

No they'd just let you in at this one and you could go straight to the
lifts. As it happened the intercom was broken, but they still did it
after it was fixed.

Kind of the point. The better places have security bods who give a toss,
the others will do as you describe.