Council approves funding for extra care schemes to support independent living and changing needs
Lancashire County Council’s Cabinet has approved a way of funding extra care schemes as well as a new care home at a recent meeting to support older people and those with dementia.
Extra care schemes enable people to live independently in their own home for longer, while having easy access to 24-hour care provided by workers based on the same site. People’s home and the care they receive can easily be adapted as their needs change over time.
Different to traditional care homes, extra care schemes see people live in their own flat, which they rent or lease. Typically, flats include a living room, kitchen, toilet, shower room and one or two bedrooms. The schemes also include communal services such as gyms, hair salons, cafes and function rooms.
As these schemes are developed by independent providers, Lancashire County Council has approved a way to fund facilities. This involves housing providers securing grants from Homes England to fund the developments. The borrowing is serviced from rental incomes.
County Councillor Graham Gooch, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, said: “We plan to provide 1,000 new extra care units across Lancashire by 2025, with at least one scheme in each district.
“This funding approach gives housing providers the best way to access the funding they need to develop the schemes. The county council will work alongside them to develop the services, and deliver the care once they are up and running.
“We have set out how we need to provide more flexible forms of care for older people and adults with disabilities, instead of relying on long-term residential care in our Housing with Care and Support Strategy.
“Agreeing this new funding approach is a key part of our plans.”
Cabinet also approved plans to build a new extra care service and care home on the site of the current Bowgreave Rise Care home in Garstang, to support people in Wyre.
The extra care scheme will provide flexible support for older people, and the new care home will provide more specialised care for people with dementia.
Lancashire County Council held an eight-week consultation in January with residents, families and other key stakeholders on an initial proposal for the future of Bowgreave Rise, based on replacing the current care home with an extra care scheme for older people, and supported housing, or bungalows, for people with social care needs.
However, following feedback received during the consultation, Lancashire County Council will now build a new care home on the site to address the need for residential care, including people with dementia, and develop an extra care scheme for older people alongside in partnership with a registered care provider.
Graham added: “Our new proposals for Bowgreave Rise aim to address the need for residential care, including for people with dementia, as well as increasing the housing and care options for the people of Wyre through the development of the extra care facility.
“I’m very grateful to everyone who responded to the consultation for helping us to shape these proposals for the future of care provision for older people in Wyre, and make some changes that we think better reflect people’s needs.”