New name reflects improvements in homes for older people
Published: Thursday, 1 April, 2021
Changes in the way older people want to live mean sheltered housing is being renamed – and there will be benefits for the wider community too.
Stroud District Council’s sheltered housing service for older people has been renamed Independent Living to reflect its current service and future aspirations of an increasingly independent older generation.
More than £8million has been committed to modernise and rebuild Stroud District Council’s housing for older people in a programme which involves the major refurbishment of some, and the creation of brand new purpose built apartments.
Four schemes - in Stonehouse, Nailsworth, Cam and Minchinhampton - will become community hubs and will share their communal spaces with the wider community to providing a place where people and organisations, such as health services, can come together for the benefit of everyone.
Stroud District Council owns approximately 5,000 houses, of which 712 are grouped together in 27 communities for people aged 60 and older. The homes typically share communal facilities such as a lounge and kitchen, which many are linked to via a sheltered corridor.
The re-naming of the service follows a number of changes since the council published its Older People’s Housing Strategy in 2019. This set out a vision of `providing good quality older people’s housing which meets a variety of current and future needs – where people want to live.’
Keith Gerrard, Stroud District Council Strategic Director of Communities said:
“The renaming of our sheltered housing schemes to Independent Living reflects the fact that our residents are leading increasingly independent lives, and many of them no longer want or need the type of service traditionally associated with sheltered accommodation.
“Nationally it is expected that there will be a significant increase in the number of older people over the next 20 years, and our service will provide residents with as much or as little support as they need.”