A review of Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council’s sheltered accommodation is aimed at helping older people retain their independence and enhance their quality of life.
The council currently has around 1,000 properties which are designated sheltered accommodation. These properties are grouped together into 22 distinct sheltered housing schemes across the borough.
H&F Council will soon embark on a stock condition survey that will look to ensure that all of its housing is fit for purpose. This sheltered housing review will be the first strand of that project.
Sheltered accommodation has historically been thought of as housing that offers security and companionship for older or more vulnerable adults who required additional support to enable them to maintain their independence.
Extra care provides an intermediate stage for people requiring greater support and care but not the intensive level offered by residential care.
The aim of extra care housing is to help elderly people live as independent a life as possible, while at the same time providing them with a degree of support tailored to personal current, and future, needs. For instance, extra care housing provides easy access accommodation with kitchens and bathrooms adapted to meet individual needs.
Cllr Joe Carlebach, cabinet member for community care, said:
“We are carrying out this review so that residents who live in sheltered accommodation, some of whom are amongst the most vulnerable in society, continue to receive the care and attention that they deserve. We will be looking to ensure that every penny we spend on sheltered housing is used to best effect while making sure that the service focuses on the need of the individual.
“This is excellent news for those living in sheltered accommodation because this long overdue review is intended to improve their quality of life and boost their independence. The views of current residents will be invaluable and it is our intention to ensure that they are kept informed and involved at every stage of the process.”
Cllr Andrew Johnson, cabinet member for housing, said:
“The overall aim of our stock condition survey is to make sure that all of our housing portfolio is fit for the demands of the 21st century. We realise that extra care is an increasingly popular way of living for elderly people and by looking first at our sheltered housing stock we shall be able to see straight away if there is the opportunity to build some additional extra care capacity into our sheltered housing.
“Over recent years, the council has become more creative in the way it manages its properties so that the actual service is prioritised ahead of the bricks and mortar of our buildings. This is an extension of that way of thinking and will help us arrive at a sheltered housing stock that meets the changing needs of residents and helps elderly people make the most of their lives by providing homes that maximise their independence. I would like to reassure sheltered housing residents from the outset that this consultation will have absolutely no impact on their security of tenure.”
A series of information sessions has been arranged to enable tenants to find out more about these developments. The council has also produced a short leaflet that has been distributed to residents.
The outcome of the review, and recommendations, will be reported back to the council’s cabinet within 12 months.
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