"Empowering older people to make their own decisions about their housing, support and care requires that they have access to much better information than has hitherto been available, as well as advice, support and advocacy if they require them. We look forward to working with our partners and with Government to help implement this part of the strategy.
The strategy also gets to grips with other essentials. It recognises the importance of ‘that bit of help’ which can make it possible for older people to remain living in their home in safety and comfort even when their health and mobility decline. It promises increased public funding for repairs, adaptations and insulation, more handypersons’ services to carry out small scale works, and a broader role for home improvement agencies in providing and brokering local housing services.
And it has much positive to say about sheltered and retirement housing – indeed about all forms of specialist housing for older people. We particularly welcome its commitment to encourage excellence in design and its proposal for a national research programme to evaluate how well specialist housing works for its residents.
For the last 5 years we have been involved, along with many other organisations and individuals, in HOPDEV (the Housing and Older People Development Group), set up to help Government deliver on its earlier strategic framework document Quality and Choice for Older People’s Housing. The new national strategy will help us all to continue forging the links between housing, neighbourhoods and support and care services, to deliver the comprehensive service offerings that enhance older people’s independence, sense of well being and ability to contribute as equal citizens in our society."