Meeting the home adaptation needs of older people: Is your council actively addressing residents’ need for help with home adaptations?

Cover_meeting the home adaptation needs

COVID-19 has shown there is an urgent need for government to ensure that councils and local partners have the necessary funding to enable timely and effective home adaptations for older and disabled people, to help ensure their safety, wellbeing and independence during and beyond the pandemic. 

This recently updated report from the LGA, in association with ADASS, Age UK and Care & Repair England, explores the crucial role of housing adaptations in supporting people’s independence and reducing demand on stretched social care and health services. It now also includes fresh links to relevant resources on tackling coronavirus.

The examples highlighted show that councils are innovating to put in place personalised interventions that enable people to live in their homes for longer and promote positive ageing, often in partnership with the voluntary and community sector . It also sets out practical steps which councils can take to further improve local approaches to home adaptations. Crucially, some of these are about the more efficient use of existing resources and flexibilities, and better partnership working.

The LGA is calling on government to ensure that councils and local partners have the necessary funding to enable them to deliver this crucial housing help for older and disabled people at this critical time.