Key Theme Three

Key Theme 3: Ensuring that the right housing and accommodation options are available to people as they age

This section tells you:

What we have identified as the key priorities relating to this theme;
Why we have identified these key priorities;
What we plan to do to make a positive difference.

Many of the plans set out in this and other themes in the Ageing Well strategy are ambitious, and will require close and effective partnerships across a range of local organisations from the statutory, community and private sectors and, crucially, with local communities for these ambitions to be realised.

Decent and appropriate housing is critical in enabling older people to remain independent. Wherever possible this means adapting people’s existing homes and /or providing assistive technologies to allow them to remain living in their own homes for as long as possible. It can also mean providing alternative housing options for people that better meet their changing needs or circumstances – finding ways of making it easier and more attractive to ‘downsize’ for example.

Where living in your own home ceases to be a practical or safe option, we also need to ensure that there is a range and capacity of supported housing options, such as sheltered and extra care sheltered housing, and residential and nursing care homes in the borough.

Update Spring 2018

An action plan is currently being finalised, but will include a refresh of the the Older Persons' Housing Statement, working with housing providers to ensure the local estate environments can be made older people friendly where required and continuing to work with partners to develop inter-generational shared housing schemes.

For further information, please contact stephanie.graden@towerhamlets.gov.uk, 020 7364 0391.