Creating homes that older people love

We are at a point of real opportunity to make a difference to older people, providing the right options to give people choice and control over their homes and lives. It’s time to challenge the preconceived ideas that people have about the outdated sheltered housing schemes and instead modernise the homes available to create safe, welcoming, modern and desirable homes.

“It’s like a palace here” and “I wasn’t proud of where I lived before but now I love to show my home off, it’s far nicer than anything else around here”.

These are comments from people living in two of our newly refurbished properties, where we have transformed older sheltered housing into modern Independent Living properties. These have gone through full scheme improvements, with new windows, doors, lifts, digital warden call systems and other environmental and technological improvements, making them environmentally friendly, warm and secure places for older people to live. In addition, the new decoration and furnishings, delivered by our interior design team in Orbit Homes have created beautiful communal spaces that people feel proud to be a part of their homes.

At Bushey Court in Bexley, London, we have converted unused spaces to create eight new homes that were let to people in larger general needs homes, creating a ‘2 for 1’ approach with both a new home for older people and feeing up much needed family accommodation. The properties are now all future proofed for our tenants, with digital technology in every property that can add in any assistive technology as required, as well as video door entry, video calling between flats and fast, clear calls for emergency support.

This is just the start – two schemes now complete and another 8 underway this year and we will then work through the whole portfolio having completed a full strategic review. Some will have major extensions to maximise the land available, others require significant alterations whereas others will be more cosmetic. We are investing in these properties as we value older people and the contribution they make to society and want to deliver the very best homes for them.

The recent All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Inquiry report, The Regeneration of Outdated Sheltered Housing, sets out clear recommendations, and we will champion those to ensure that government, providers and local authorities can all work together to deliver the changes that are needed.

As we celebrate Starts at Home Day (opens new window), recognising the value of caring and supportive services and environments, across the country we have older sheltered housing that has huge potential that needs to be unlocked to help meet the demand we have for homes of all types in this country. This is just the start and I hope that all providers will take up the APPG’s challenge to review, invest in and deliver refurbished homes, new developments and really show the value that delivering high quality homes for older people brings.

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For more about the APPG Inquiry, visit the Inquiry webpages here.