Housing 21 welcomes APPG ‘live well at home’ report

Press Release

For immediate release: 19 July 2011

Housing 21 welcomes APPG ‘live well at home’ report

Pushpa Raguvaran. Chief Executive of Housing 21 said: "We are very pleased with today’s publication of the All Party Parliamentary Group’s call for a housing strategy that supports older people to live well at home."

"Our response to the recent Dilnot review highlighted the

need for a system that enables people to make real choices about the setting for their care. Housing 21 has an extensive programme of providing Extra Care housing because we know that it offers an excellent alternative to residential care. It gives older people a real choice as well as allowing them to continue living independently as part of the local community.

"We also support the recommendation to include housing on local Health and Wellbeing Boards. As a provider of home care and reablement services we know how valuable well co-ordinated community-based services are in helping older people avoid hospital and residential care admissions. The proposed introduction of health budgets for housing adaptations and repairs would complement social care services in helping older people to stay well in their own homes, as would the development of new housing choices and solutions for this growing group.

"Above all, we welcome any initiative that puts older people at the heart of housing design and planning as well as giving them greater choice and control over services."

ENDS

For further information, please contact Wendy Gornicki, PR & Information Officer on 0370 192 4338, or email  wendy.gornicki@housing21.co.uk

Housing 21’s mission is to promote independence and choice for older people through quality care, health and housing services. It provides around 124,000 hours of community care each week and manages 18,200 sheltered and extra care apartments.