The Labour Party has vowed to aid housing providers in providing more homes for older people, as they launch their latest housing policy.
Shadow housing minister Jack Dromey and shadow care minister Liz Kendall held a summit on housing for the elderly’s needs.
They have studied the opportunities that specialist housing providers will need to deliver new accommodation in large numbers, what can be done to raise housing options, and how health and social care groups can work alongside housing suppliers.
Dromey says: “Labour wants to help older people and those in need of care, to stay in their own homes as long as possible. Labour wants to support those who wish to downsize. And Labour wants to ensure that, if people need to go into residential accommodation, it is of a quality that one would expect for our mums and dads, and that the nation can be proud of.”1
The amount of people aged 65 and over in the UK is predicted to rise from 10 million in 2008, to almost 17 million in 2033. 60% of all new household expansion will be in over 65s.
Kendall says: “Meeting the care needs of our ageing population is one of the biggest challenges we face as society, and housing has a critical role to play in achieving this goal. Finding ways of joining health, social care, and housing support services will be at the heart of Labour’s policy review.”1
Dromey and Kendall joined a discussion hosted by McCarthy & Stone. Land & Planning Director of McCarthy & Stone, Gary Day, notes: “When older people look to downsize into accommodation that is better suited to their needs, many are forced to fight on in their existing property or move into residential care. This is no choice at all.”1
Separately, Peter Girling, of a specialist rental accommodation for older people provider, confronted the Government over not mentioning older people in any planning initiatives.
The Government is also considering a report from economist Andrew Dilnot that proposed restricting the amount people pay towards the cost of their care.