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Alliance ’ s plan to tackle ‘ colossal ’ challenge of housing and ageing
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A national strategy is needed urgently to address the housing needs of our ageing population , according to the Housing and Ageing Alliance ( HAA ).
The call is among a 15-point plan published last month by the HAA , an alliance of senior leaders from a wide range of organisations , including Age UK , Independent Age and the National Housing Federation .
Creating homes we want to grow old in : a 15-point plan calls for a national older people ’ s housing strategy , strengthened information and advice , more support for home adaptation and strengthened planning guidance to increase the supply of older people ’ s housing .
HAA Chair Mario Ambrosi said : ‘ Our ageing population brings colossal change and is a surprise to precisely no one . Yet public policies and systems are increasingly inadequate for the challenges and opportunities it brings .
‘ Everyone deserves an affordable , accessible home . Our 15-point plan sets out practical steps that government can put in place now to enable people to age in place while increasing the supply
of aspirational homes designed specifically for older people ’ s needs .
‘ Actions such as implementing the government commitment to increase accessibility standards of new homes can happen immediately . At the same time , the government should develop a national older people ’ s housing strategy to drive a shift in supply to address needs of the older people of tomorrow .’
In addition to the government developing a national older people ’ s housing strategy , HAA also believes that a Cabinet-level Minister for Oder People and Ageing should be established , alongside the appointment of an Older People and Ageing Commissioner .
HAA also believes that local authorities should develop older people ’ s housing strategies that map existing housing for older people across all types and tenures , its availability and condition , and where there are notable gaps .
There should also be a radical improvement in the speed and efficiency of Disabled Facilities Grant delivery and government should consult on the means test , upper limit and funding allocation , HAA says .
The Alliance is made up of individuals from local and national organisations working together with a single objective ; to bring about improvements to the housing and living conditions of older people . Its membership reflects a range of housing interests , including older people who are active in housing related networks , national organisations from the statutory , voluntary and private sectors , and those involved in policy development and representation on various housing related advisory bodies .
Creating homes we want to grow old in : a 15-point plan is available at https :// bit . ly / 3vic6gO .
RCOT gets ready to launch its innovation hub community
The Innovation Hub project completed its discovery phase in December 2023 , having received 73 occupational therapy focused change projects . Our analysis of these enabled us to better understand the nature of occupational therapy innovation and the common factors related to leading change within complex systems . You can read our report and case studies at https :// bit . ly / 3TugAZH .
At the end of April 2024 , we will be launching our digital innovation hub community where members can submit and search our database of real-world occupational therapy focused improvements alongside peer networking opportunities .
To become one of our early adopters of our innovation hub community space , simply share a challenge that needs addressing , a change idea or completed project with us via our digital submission tool .
We are particularly keen to gather more new product focused projects . These projects can be at any stage from discovery to fully implemented and evaluated . They can relate to products and tools that support and streamline the delivery of service provision , app and web developments , new assistive technologies as well as data insight projects , for example using artificial intelligence tools .
To submit your project , you can use our digital submission tool via our webpage https :// rcot . co . uk / innovation-hub . For more information on the project , email the team innovationhub @ rcot . co . uk .
April 2024 OTnews 7