Henley and Marlow Lifestyle Nov - Dec 2021

HOUSING-WITH-CARE
Allowing older people to live where they want to live
Imagine you’re an older person in your
70s, approaching your later years and
perhaps in need of more support soon,
but still with so much to give, so many
talents to unlock, so many friends to
make. You’re thinking about moving
from the family home you’ve lived in
for years to somewhere which provides
security and care if and when you need
it, but which also allows you to keep
your independence and connections to
the local community, and which has a
range of activities and facilities to keep
you busy.
It’s this middle ground, this golden
mean, combining independence with
care and support, which housing-withcare
settings across the country are
offering to older people in increasing
numbers. Sometimes called retirement
communities, retirement villages or extra
care housing, these settings give older
people the opportunity to rent or own
a flat or apartment, on a site with 24/7
staffing, high-quality care provision if
needed, and facilities like restaurants,
bars, cafes, gyms, activity rooms and
much more.
While long-standing options for older
people like care homes and traditional
retirement housing will continue to have
a vital place, there is a growing need
for middle options like housing-withcare
which allow older people to stay
independent and healthy for longer.
The evidence is clear: housing-withcare
improves health and well-being,
drastically cuts down hospital and GP
visits, and reduces feelings of loneliness.
Not only do older people themselves
benefit, but so too does the NHS and
whole social care system.
Housing-with-care settings can be in
either rural or urban locations, giving
older people the chance to choose the
lifestyle they want. Often, they are closely
connected with the town centre, and
people of different ages are able to use
the facilities at the retirement community
and mix with older residents. Far from
being ghettos of the elderly, housingwith-care
settings can be hubs of
intergenerational connection.
ARCO’s role as the representative body
for the housing-with-care sector is to help
our members provide the best possible
service to their older residents, and to
ensure the sector thrives and grows in
the way that it should. An important part
of ARCO’s work is helping members
set high standards through the ARCO
Consumer Code, a new edition of
which was launched in September this
year. The code upholds the principles
of transparency and fairness, giving
customers and residents confidence that
housing-with-care operators achieve
high levels of consumer protection in
everything from marketing, sales and
lettings, and resident relations.
Because, ultimately, housing-with-care is
all about the residents. About responding
to the growing demand from older
people for housing options that combine
independent, active living with care
and support if needed. About allowing
residents to live the life that they want
to live.
For further email please visit
www.arcouk.org
28 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk