Cost comparison of supported living

Undertaken by the University of Swansea and published in 2013, the objectives of this project for the Welsh Government were to explore the following:

• What are the costs of receiving care and support in Extracare sheltered housing in Wales?
• What are the comparable cost differences between receiving care in residential care, Extracare and in the community?
• Is NHS service utilisation different for those living in different care environments?

The resultant report, 'A Cost comparison of supported living in Wales: A Swansea case study', indicate that the least expensive environment for delivery of care is in service users own homes with the most expensive being residential care. Furthermore, there were cost-efficiencies in extra care compared to residential care and the NHS in terms of requirements for community equipment and home modifications (i.e. aids and adaptations) and inpatient costs.