Housing Minister Grant Shapps has announced an allocation of £51 million to Home Improvement Agencies, to continue their work in providing provide help and advice to the elderly, including:
These agencies also offer hospital discharge services - ensuring older people leaving hospital care are given the support they need to be able to recuperate in the comfort of their own homes.
For those needing adaptations to their homes, Grant Shapps has also confirmed an additional £20 million for Disabled Facilities Grants - bringing the total to £200 million this year alone.
He has also announced £1.5 million funding for FirstStop, which provides independent advice to older people looking to plan their future housing needs - whether in their own homes, or in care homes. This is in addition to work already underway to look at new and innovative ways in which elderly people can fund their future care needs without having to resort to selling their property.
And to plan for the needs of older households in the future, Mr Shapps has announced plans for councils to consider the needs of their ageing residents in their local housing plans, by planning the numbers of new homes built to ensure they include features that meet the needs of older people, such as wider doors for wheelchairs and walk-in showers.