Shock at reluctance to help elderly stay at home

Members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People have expressed their shock at lack of investment in measures to help vulnerable people remain in their homes for longer.
Reporting on their Inquiry into the barriers preventing older people from living well at home, members noted that relatively minor and cost effective changes, such as hand rails and stair lifts, could help people remain independent.

Instead, the Inquiry found evidence of delays and duplication in assessing individual needs, insufficient funds for preventative home care, inflexible administration of personalised support, shortages of Disabled Facilities Grants for home adaptations and of occupational therapists to advise on them, under-resourced and few home improvement agencies, and insufficient numbers of handy person schemes to get things done for older home owners. 

Members recommend a joined up approach between health, social care and housing, with the soon to be established Health and Wellbeing Boards placing greater emphasis on housing issues.  

Their Inquiry also recommends better equity release schemes for home owners, to give them the cash needed to modify their homes. 

Full report here