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<\/a>Both father and son are wheelchair uses \u2013 David all his life and Colin only in the past year, after having part of his leg amputated due to vascular disease.<\/p>\nDavid found their first-floor home at Royal Haslar, a grade II listed waterfront retirement community.<\/p>\n
Their apartment is accessible by two lifts from the ground floor and has an open-plan kitchen and living area, as well as a panoramic 180-degree view of the Solent which David knew would be perfect for his sea-loving father.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoving in together was due to several other factors and a decision discussed with my siblings,\u201d David explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a family, we decided it would be sensible if I were the one to move in with Dad to support him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0Colin who had recently lost his wife of more than 50 years and needed to downsize from the family home, bought the apartment in February and had his operation soon after.<\/p>\n
So David was on hand to help him navigate life from an electric wheelchair in a kind of role reversal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been helping dad with learning tricks such as how to transfer sideways onto a bed or chair and aligning the wheelchair,\u201d David explains. \u201cI am also encouraging him not to crash into the furniture or other people.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not to say there haven\u2019t been challenges. \u201cIt\u2019s only natural that we drive each other mad sometimes,\u201d adds Colin, \u201cBut short of hoping to go deaf early the key to making it to work is to cultivate patience and to understand one another\u2019s differences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Colin went to Royal Naval College Dartmouth at the age of 13 and David to boarding school at 10.<\/p>\n
So both learned about communal living very early on.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are able to live independently and also enjoy doing things together, \u201c David adds. \u201cWe like going for walks on the beach, round the site \u2013 but I do like something with a bit of adrenaline \u2013 like water-skiing and bike rides.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c I do try and get out into the wonderful grounds at least once every day,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are 62 acres to plenty to explore including a lovely Memorial Garden. And when I am inside the apartment, I am never bored \u2013 there is a constant flow of fascinating shipping plying the Solent.\u201d At just 53, David is the youngest resident at Royal Haslar but he has made a life for himself there. Passionate about the former naval hospital\u2019s history, he has started to volunteer with the Haslar Heritage Group and with his father suggested ways to \u201cfuture-proof\u201d Royal Haslar for themselves and other differently-abled residents, such as installing automated doors.<\/p>\n The combination of the unique heritage, seafront location and planned future facilities, including on-hand medical care, caf\u00e9, and various communal spaces, have made any current compromises worthwhile.<\/p>\n \u201cI am very lucky having both parents who were very hands off. They encouraged me to get on and live my life as an individual.<\/p>\n David Filmer resigned from working in higher education as a disability support worker to look after his father. \u201cI would love to stay here after dad passes. But it is his property and I have two siblings so we will have to see.\u201d<\/p>\n In the meantime he is looking forward to spending his first Christmas with Colin at their apartment. \u201cI will be doing the cooking with the help of Marks & Spencer,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/newclone.retiremove.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DavidFilmer_AtHome_CanadaHousxe_RoyalHaslar_9184_CreditJamesNewell-683x1024.jpeg\")
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