Housing with Care: Initiatives in Norfolk for older people

Abstract

The Government has put emphasis on preventing inappropriate admissions to hospital and longterm care and helping people to live at home. The National Service Framework for Older People focuses on promoting older people's independence and fitting services around people's needs. In this climate Housing with Care is presented as an attractive alternative to residential care, mainly for older people. Such schemes maintain people in complexes of purpose-built flats in the community with care and support on site 24 hours a day. This article looks at the experience of Norfolk County Council in providing Housing with Care for older people.

A case study of a Canadian homelessness intervention programme for elderly people

“…1996); and day centres and nutrition supports for elderly people in the shelter system (Doolin 1986). Research is also needed on strategies that have the potential to prevent homelessness among elderly people such as housing services that provide 24‐hour on‐site care and support (Murray et al . 2003), emergency housing for frail elderly people who return to the community from institutions such as hospitals or who cannot care for themselves (Mellinger 1989) and specialist health and social care teams working with at risk elderly people (Drennan et al .…”

“…Further research is needed on the impact of alternative strategies to provide services to homeless or marginally housed elderly people such as comprehensive programmes offering services such as outreach, health and social care services and housing options (Lipmann 2003); collaborative multi-agency initiatives bringing together community services such as health, housing, social, legal and home repair and management services (O'Connell 1990, Duffy et al 1996; and day centres and nutrition supports for elderly people in the shelter system (Doolin 1986). Research is also needed on strategies that have the potential to prevent homelessness among elderly people such as housing services that provide 24-hour on-site care and support (Murray et al 2003), emergency housing for frail elderly people who return to the community from institutions such as hospitals or who cannot care for themselves (Mellinger 1989) and specialist health and social care teams working with at risk elderly people (Drennan et al 2005). Finally, the importance of adequate incomes, affordable housing and housing options that meet the diverse needs of elderly people as they seek to age in their communities cannot be overstated.…”