Housing with Care - a winning combination from MHA

Wednesday 14th July 2010

MHA, the UK charity for older people, is expanding its programme of extra care housing by converting traditional sheltered housing.

Adopting the term 'Housing with Care', MHA has already ensured that 246 residents of former sheltered housing are enjoying the possibility of long-term, independent living that Housing with Care offers.

The process, which takes place in consultation with existing residents, allows them to opt into a 24-hour care service. It's a cost-effective transition not only for the charity but also for the residents themselves, says Group Director for Operations, Housing and Care, Lorelei Jarvis. "They find that Housing with Care enables residents to remain in their established home and community and receive help with aspects of daily living as required, paying for care only when they need it."

"We have developed a financial model for Housing with Care that works well when making the transition from sheltered housing. It's a model that fits well with Personalisation and Individual Budgets."

Typically, Housing with Care offers refurbished accommodation including the addition of a bistro and installing accessible and assisted bathrooms, together with care and support services.

MHA piloted the programme in August 2008 at Edina Court in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, which is made up of three adjoining properties comprising 50 flats. In total, 31 residents have opted into the programme, describing the approach as preferable to have to move to residential care to receive the support they need - the alternative for some had MHA not offered them Housing with Care. The conversion took a little over six months, drawing considerable interest from stakeholders, including the Cambridgeshire Older People's Strategy Team who said that the conversion helped meet some of their own targets. MHA has since converted a further five services, and will soon roll out two more.

Tony Pillow, Edina Court's Housing with Care Manager oversaw the process and is convinced by the value of MHA's programme. "By providing only the care people really need, they are able to maintain higher levels of ability and independence and enjoy a better quality of life into later years, even if their care needs increase." At age 94, Doris Gibson had been receiving care from a rota of agency staff. "Now I feel very comfortable knowing there are carers available when I need them. I don't have to wait until my slot. I like living at Edina Court as I have my own privacy and have kept my independence."

Though the charity continues to provide sheltered housing services, it knows that demand for Housing with Care is high. It is actively seeking ways to meet that demand using its own existing buildings and new build opportunities as well as through other sheltered housing acquisitions. With an established expertise in creating Housing with Care, MHA sees it as a key element of the charity's future development and is keen to share that expertise in order to make a difference to the lives of more older people, such as Ray Dunlop. Ray is also a resident at Edina Court. He says that the new services have "given me the opportunity to remain independent, but I know that there will always be someone here to help me as and when I need it. It truly is a wonderful place to live".

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