The Thomas Poklington Trust have issued the following press release about their new guide Housing for people with Sight Loss-a Practical Guide to Improving Existing Homes 

THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST PRESS RELEASE: Making Home Improvements Count  -Six steps to safe and easy homes for older people  

Home improvements to make life easier for people with sight loss are cheap and easy to carry out, according to a new guide published today by Thomas Pocklington Trust (1).  In a practical guide, the charity lists low-cost ways to improve homes for older people and those with sight loss – simple measures that can bring enormous benefits to the quality of people’s lives.  It presents them in a series of checklists, an easy-to-use format for all those involved in adaptations, refurbishments or basic maintenance of properties.   The guide, Housing for People with Sight Loss – a Practical Guide to Improving Existing Homes, (2) leads the reader through practical steps – what works and what can be done now to cater for failing eyesight.   

“Even when money is limited, there is no reason for people with sight loss to suffer homes that are hazardous or difficult to live in,” says Sarah Buchanan, Thomas Pocklington Trust Research and Development Manager.  “Low-cost improvements done as part of routine maintenance can dramatically change lives.” 

Most people over the age of sixty experience some deterioration in their vision, so keeping sight in mind will be beneficial to all housing schemes. Just the choice of colour, lighting and layout can make homes safer and easier to live in by reducing hazards, maximising sight and simplifying the location and use of basic appliances.  With an increasingly ageing population such changes will help the majority of people, whether or not they have sight loss, as well as helping people with other sensory loss. 

After extensive research with visually impaired people (3), six basic principles emerged, all proven in housing schemes to make a dramatic difference.

Involve people

·       People know what needs to change in their home but not how to change it.  Their input in discussing adaptations is vital if they are to enjoy the home they live in.

Improve lighting

·       Lighting can dramatically improve people’s vision and should be flexible and adjustable. ie with dimmer switches. 

·       “Task lighting” helps to focus on specific activities. 

·       Lighting inside cupboards and wardrobes makes finding things easier.

Colour and contrast

·       Choose paint colours that reflect light

·       Use contrasting shades of colour to highlight the position of objects.  Contrast colour strips on the edges of doors, bins, appliances and stairs show where these are and highlight potential hazards. 

·       Contrasting handles and knobs on doors and appliances, and on grab rails or equipment make it easier to locate and use them.

Avoid clutter

·       Plenty of space and logical layouts for routes, furniture and equipment makes it easier to move around.

·       Indoors, accessible storage space is essential.

·       Outdoors, pathways should not be overhung by plants or trees or obstructed by garden or street furniture.

Avoid glare.  It creates dazzle that may make it hard to see.

 ·       Use non-reflective materials, such as matt tiles and flooring, especially in bathrooms and kitchens.

·       Use lamp shades and vertical blinds to prevent glare from lights and windows.

Accessible appliances

·       Controls should be clear and, where possible, tactile or audible.

·       Putting simple tactile stickers on equipment, from cookers to kettles, can help. 

The new guide applies these principles to each area of the home – kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc. - and offers essential checklists for reviewing possible improvements.  They include small changes, using everyday non-specialist equipment and resources, and can be part of routine maintenance and upgrading. They do not have to involve rebuilding or major refurbishment and should not be expensive or require expenditure to be made all at the same time. 

“We urge anyone who is involved in housing and can affect these changes to use our checklists and start implementing them now,” says Sarah Buchanan.  “Even basic choices, such as colour and lighting can be the crucial difference between safe, easy living and a life that is more difficult than it need be.”     

Editors Notes:  1.      Thomas Pocklington Trust is a charity which aims to improve the quality of life of people with sight loss.  It is a leading provider of housing, care and support services for people with sight loss in the UK, and is a major research and development body.  2.      Housing for People with Sight Loss – a Practical Guide to Improving Existing Homes was commissioned by Thomas Pocklington Trust in conjunction with The Wilberforce Trust and the Housing, Leaning and Improvement Network, and written by Nikki Joule and Ros Levenson.  It is based on research amongst people living with sight loss as well as managers and support staff working in both general and specialist housing.  For a PDF of the guide visit www.pocklington-trust.org.uk   3.      In 2008, Thomas Pocklington Trust launched Housing for People with Sight Loss – a Thomas Pocklington Trust Design Guide.  This was the first comprehensive guidance to draw on research with visually impaired people in order to influence design.  Today’s new guide takes the recommendations of that publication further, listing practical measures that are easy and inexpensive to incorporate into existing homes.  The Design Guide can be seen at www.pocklington-trust.org.uk

Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) is pleased to announce the forthcoming launch of new awards for all forms of retirement housing. These awards are supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government, and by the Housing LIN of the DH Care Networks.

For the first time residents of retirement housing, sheltered housing, assisted living, extra care housing, etc, will nominate schemes through a consultation involving them in small groups as well as individually. A deck of cards has been designed to stimulate discussions and help capture satisfaction ratings on design, services, and well-being.

Aims
• Publicly celebrate the best specialist housing for older people
• Engage thousands of residents in identifying what contributes to quality of life in traditional and emerging models of specialist housing provision
• Ensure that older people, families and carers have access to the best possible information
• Help shape the future of housing in later life

The Nomination Packs will be available in September 2009; nominations will be expected by the end of October, and the award ceremony will take place in London in January 2010. Housing providers and managers are asked to obtain Nomination Packs and to encourage their residents to participate. If you know someone in retirement or sheltered housing, please tell them about this opportunity to have a voice and be counted.

For general enquiries and order forms:
EAC Housing Awards, 3rd Floor, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP
housingawards@eac.org.uk
Tel 020 7820 3755
www.housingcare.org

Having recently visited two sheltered housing schemes, one new, purpose built part extra-care scheme and one much more established, charity run sheltered housing scheme, there were some marked differences apart from just the age of the two complexes.

Both schemes were in very good locations, the former being a stone's throw from the Thames and the latter in a quiet, leafy, affluent London suburb.

Whilst one of the advantages of the newer scheme was that the overall appearance was bright and clean, what the older one lacked in this respect, it made up for in character and ambience.

To be more specific, the new scheme had an impersonal, clinical feel to it, I'd go so far as to say 'institutional', partly due to the neutral walls and carpeting in most areas and its 'compact' design. The older scheme, on the other hand, looked and felt much more like private accommodation. For example, whilst the newer scheme had a bright feel in some areas - the pastel decorated lounge with large windows was very light and airy, the corridors to the flats themselves were very poorly lit and some had no natural light at all, making them seem quite 'dingy', and on a more practical level, possibly hazardous. The front doors to the flats in the older scheme had a recess on either side, setting them back a little from the wide corridors, providing a small area mostly used for jardinières, small pieces of occasional furniture etc. This, together with the windows on either side of each door at which residents had hung their own curtains, gave an individual and personal feel to the exterior of each flat and the living accommodation overall. Luxury, deep coloured carpeting throughout added to the homely feel.

The newer scheme had the advantage of a wonderful roof terrace with views overlooking a park with a stunning water feature and, of course, Old Father Thames. Well, one would think it would be an advantage - if it wasn't for the fact that it was kept locked ! What a waste of such a facility. The older scheme had a large, very well maintained landscaped quadrangle with a pond, and as each flat had its own terrace or balcony, thanks to the green fingered residents, there was an abundance of flowers around for everyone to enjoy.

A restaurant in the newer scheme provided a reputedly very good lunch for the residents, but again it seemed a pity that its adjoining terrace was not put to full use - there were no tables & chairs for residents to sit outside and enjoy their afternoon cuppa on a summer's afternoon. The kitchens in the flats were small and open plan, adjoining the living room. The lack of a restaurant in the older scheme did not appear to be a problem as the self-contained kitchens in the flats were very spacious and well fitted out with high end equipment, and there were regular organised trips to the main site for lunch in its restaurant, and pub lunch outings to boot.

So given the choice, where would I rather live ? Despite being a person who errs on the side of modern contemporary design as opposed to the more traditional, I don't think it would be too hard a decision to make....

Laing and Bussion have published their annual survey of baseline fee rates for older local authority funded care home residents. Their survey found:

• Baseline fee rates will increase by 2.6% for the financial year 2009/2010, down from the last year's increase of 3%
• There is a large degree of variation between local authorities' baseline fee rates in different parts of the country.
• The numbers of residents placed in care homes by local authorities is likely to continue to decline for at least the next year.
• There is evidence of increasing numbers of local authorities using criteria in order to pay higher fees to well performing homes and lower fees to poorly performing ones.
• There is also evidence that local authorities are increasingly applying stricter eligibility critera for their assistance.

The baseline rate is the maximum amount a local authority would usually expect to pay to meet a care home resident's needs. The baseline rate may also be referred to as the local authorities usual cost. These amounts can be increased in certain circumstances. Laing and Buisson are a company that provide data, statistics, analysis and market intelligence on the UK health, community care and childcare sector. Further information about the survey, including how to buy it, is available through the following link. 

http://www.laingbuisson.co.uk/Portals/1/PressReleases/BaselineFees2009_PR.pdf

The Communities and Local Government Committee is undertaking an inquiry into the Government's "Supporting People" programme. Supporting People provides funding for housing-related support for vunerable people, including older tenants and home-owners, through such services as sheltered housing wardens, home improvement agencies and handyperson schemes.

In June 2007, the Government's strategy for the Supporting People programme, "Independence and Opportunity:Our Strategy for Supporting People"outlined four aims

• Keeping people that need services at the heart of the programme;
• Enchancing partnership with the Third Sector;
• Delivering in the new local government landscape;and
• Increasing efficency and reducing bureaucracy

The strategy set out what the Government would do to acheive it's aims and what it expected Supporting People commissioners and providers to do. Also in April this year funding for the Supporting People programme was changed so that Central Government no longer paid a ring-fenced grant to local authorities instead they are now able to spend this money according to their own local priorities.

The Committee is examining the extent to which the Government has delivered on these commitments and also the implications of the removal of the ring fence.The Committee is now taking oral evidence from a number of organisations, such as Age Concern/Help the Aged, who previously made written submissions. You can look at all the evidence before the committee and follow it's progress through the following weblink:

http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/clg/clgsphome.cfm

At last, there is some news to bring you about the 2009 EAC Over 60s Art Awards!

You may be forgiven for thinking that we’d forgotten all about this year’s Art Awards. This, however, is far from the case, as a great deal has been going on behind the scenes to ensure that this year’s competition and exhibition take place as usual.

As you may appreciate, 2009 has provided a unique set of difficulties and challenges which have impacted on the organisation of the Art Awards. The original time scale, which was to have been for an exhibition of finalists’ work in early September, has now therefore been missed.

However, the good news is that EAC’s Over 60s Art Awards 2009 are still going ahead, but later than originally planned.

These are the dates:

• Publicity (posters, entry forms in hard copy) going out starting middle of June
• Deadline for entries 26^th October
• Artists informed of outcome of their entry 2^nd November
• Preview Day 1^st December
• Exhibition at The Bankside Gallery 2^nd to 6^th December

Rules of entry are the same as last year, with the difference that entries from artists living outside of the UK are also welcomed.

Entry fees are the same as last year; ie £9 per entry, but this year a special offer is available on multiple entries from groups or individuals: 5 works for the price of 4 (£36) and 4 works for the price of 3 (£27).

If you wish to enter the Art Awards this year, there are several ways to obtain further information

From July onwards EAC will have its new Art awards website running, at www.eacartawards.org.uk. You will be able to enter online here.

Parker Harris, the exhibition organisers, will have details on their website, www.parkerharris.co.uk

Libraries, art societies, art shops, etc, will, as usual, receive publicity posters and entry forms, sent out from mid-June onwards.

E-mail me, Marg Millington, Arts Awards volunteer, if you are having any difficulty obtaining information or entry forms.

I hope this information is helpful, and thank you all once again for your patience,

Sheltered housing tenants, and their supporters, from Barnet, Hammersmith and Hackney, delivered a petition of 350 signatures to Number 10 on the 18th May, urging the government to stop plans to replace their resident scheme managers with a floating support service. The event was organised by David Young, chair of the Kingsley Court strategy committee in Barnet. Councillors in the borough will decide next month whether to back proposals to remove the scheme's managers. Barnet residents continued the protest outside the ocuncil's town hall the following evening. (Source Inside Housing 22/05/09)

Help the Aged research, "Nobody's Listening,'(Jan 2009), into the state of the nation's sheltered accomodation, found that over the next three years a third of sheltered housing schemes (31 per cent) will lose their on-site scheme managers and have them replaced with a floating service. The report is available at:

The Government has proposed a series of measures to improve the quality of the private rented sector, for tenants, including older tenants. 5% of people aged 65 or over in England were renting privately in 2005.

These measures include:

• Introducing a national register of every private landlord in England. Landlords will need to include their registration number on all tenancy agreements and could be removed from the register for failing to carry out essential repairs or not protecting tenants' deposits.
• Establishing an independent regulator for all lettings and managing agents.
• Setting up an improved complaints and redress procedure for tenants. If complaints are substantial and proven then landlords may be removed from the national register.
• Providing greater local authority support for good landlords.
• Changing the law to ensure that tenants have a minimum two months' notice if they have to leave their home because their landlord has been repossessed.

The Government is now consulting on these proposals and the consultation will close on 31 July 2009. More information is available at: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/responseruggreview

The Department of Health is seeking views on the revision of their guidance to local authorities on the ordinary residence provisions and the draft directions on local authority responsibilities when ordinary residence disputes arise and cross-border arrangements for dealing with ordinary residence disputes between English and Welsh Authorities.

Much of the provision of community care services, for example: care home funding, help with daily living activities for people in their own home, minor aids and adaptations is determined by whether or not an individual is "ordinarily resident" in the local authority area. This is an important issue to vunerable older people because of their reliance on these services and identifying a person's place of ordinary residence is not always straightforward. Disputes between local authorities can arise, for example, when a self funding care home resident moves into another local authority's area but later becomes eligible for local authority financial help towards their fees.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_098421

The government has made more money available, through the Warm Front Grant Scheme, for heating and insulation improvements. Grants are available to:

• householders who are aged 60 or over
• disabled people and
• families with children

who own or privately rent their home and are getting a qualifying benefit.

From the 23rd April households connected to the gas grid are now eligible for grants up to £3500, previously £2,700, while those in areas off the gas grid can apply for funding up to £6,000, up from £2,000.

More information about the Warm Front Scheme is available from their website: www.warmfront.co.uk