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Housing and dementia - three new resources

This month sees the launch of three new resources:

  • The Housing LIN briefing on the National Dementia Strategy, Living Well with Dementia
  • A special edition of the Journal of Care Services Management on housing and dementia
  • The revamped housing and dementia pages on the Housing LIN website

For all these resources, "housing" is broadly defined to embrace a wide range of housing-related staff and services as well as design and the built environment.

The briefing (opens new window) analyses the strategy from a housing perspective. It summarises key elements of the strategy, detailing those of relevance to the housing sector, and explaining the contribution that the sector can make. A number of examples are used to illustrate these points. More information on most of these examples can be found in the revised web-pages and special issue of the Journal (opens new window).

When the dementia strategy was announced, The Housing LIN agreed to collaborate with the respected professional journal, the Journal of Care Services Management to produce a special edition of the Journal. It focuses specifically on the opportunities and issues facing the housing and care sectors in helping people with dementia and their carers to live well in their own homes. The issue is due for publication on 21st April and covers the following topics:

  • The potential of practical support services, such as those delivered by home improvement agencies, to prolong independent living in mainstream housing, and the cross-sector mechanisms needed to develop them
  • Floating support services specifically for people with dementia
  • The findings from an evaluation of a whole systems approach, which includes housing with care and universal entitlement to assistive technology, to maximise independence and ageing in place
  • Charitable funding and partnership working to provide a memory café using a sheltered housing lounge
  • Partnership working between a local Alzheimer's Society branch and housing association to improve the well-being of people with dementia and carers through raising awareness and understanding amongst residents and staff
  • Designing extra care housing to support activity and meaningful engagement for people with dementia
  • Charitable funding and partnership working to enable a housing association to pilot the employment of a specialist end-of-life care nurse for people with dementia wishing to die in their own homes
  • A report on research into the problems faced by people who have both sight loss and dementia, and suggested solutions
  • A case study of a specialist extra care scheme for people with dementia
  • A report on research into the level of cognitive impairment of entrants to extra care schemes compared to care home entrants
  • A report on research into the mental health needs of 268 vulnerable people living in 10 extra care schemes
  • An opinion-piece on the SPECAL approach to dementia care

A copy of the Journal can be purchased from Henry Stewart Publications by going to: http://www.henrystewart.com/care_services_management/special.html (opens new window) or phoning Veronica Andrews on 020 7404 3040 or e-mailing her on veronicaa@henrystewart.co.uk. It is available for £11.50 on-line or £39.50 for a printed copy plus free on-line access.

The Housing LIN web-pages on Housing and Dementia bring together information on all aspects of meeting the needs of people with dementia and their carers in housing settings - particularly, but not exclusively, extra care housing. They contain many Housing LIN and other CSIP resources, as well as presentations from conferences and links to other sites, so that it serves as a gateway to all matters relating to housing and dementia. The resources will be of interest to professionals from all sectors looking to extend the options available to people with dementia and improve the quality services.

They are divided into the following topics:

  • Commissioning
  • Provision
    • Extra Care and Supported Housing
    • Specialist care and support services
    • Assistive Technology
  • Design and Built Environment
  • Practice, Workforce and Training
    • Practice
    • Training and Workforce
  • Legislation and Regulation
  • Useful dementia sites

We are always on the lookout for good practice examples. If you have any, please share them with us.