We hand over to Teresa Atkinson for this week’s blog to find out about something rather exciting that happened last week…
Well, as they say, all good things come to an end…or do they?
Last week saw the launch of the findings from our recently completed project exploring the benefits and challenges of Extra Care Housing (ECH) for people living with dementia. What a great journey this has been, speaking to care staff, commissioners, managers and, most importantly, people living with dementia about their experiences of living in different models of ECH.
ECH is becoming an ever more attractive housing option as people age. However, there is still much that is misunderstood about what extra care housing can do to support people living with dementia. Our project found that people with dementia can live well in ECH but this is very much based on the individual being in the right place, at the right time and with the right level of support. Understanding the factors that impact on this is of paramount importance if we want to ensure people can live a good life in ECH.
The findings were shared at the House of Lords with guests representing the funders, Alzheimer’s Society, Dementia Carers Count, Platform Housing, local authority commissioners, local government, Housing Learning & Improvement Network, Order of St John’s Care Trust, Methodist Homes Association, Housing 21, and people living with dementia who were part of the project advisory board.
The event was hosted by Lord Best, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry on Housing & Dementia. All guests enjoyed afternoon tea whilst hearing about the outcomes of the research. This was followed by chance to mingle and chat, with plenty of sandwiches and cake consumed along the way.
The high point of the afternoon was the launch by Jeremy Porteus (HousingLIN) of the project outputs, three Key Insight Booklets. These have been designed to help all stakeholders understand the benefits and challenges of ECH for people with dementia with one for adult social care providers, one for housing providers and one for people living with dementia and their families. All booklets can be found on our website or via the links below, and are free to download.
- A booklet for people and families affected by dementia
- A booklet for housing providers
- A booklet for adult social care providers
So, the end of the project but not the end of the journey! On the very same day as the launch, we heard that we had been successful in securing further funding to create exciting, accessible ways to share the findings.
So, not all good things do come to an end…keep your eyes peeled for further information.
Association for Dementia Studies Blog 