Cornwall Council has announced that it has approved a new approach to increasing the number of homes that offer care and support for members of its communities.
With housing stock already stretched, the new approach will support those with health and social care needs to access high quality accommodation that offers the right type of care that they require. This will work in accordance with the council’s Supported and Specialist Housing Strategy.
Housing that offers extra care gives people with specific care needs the support for their individual demands, whilst also offering them accommodation and care 24 hours a day. As it supports their care needs, this also gives them and their families peace of mind, flexibility, and an urgent response should it be required.
Andy Virr, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health at Cornwall Council, said:
“This new commissioning and contracting approach will help us develop modern, fit for purpose extra care housing and care homes that enable older people to live well.
“Demand for accommodation with care for older people is currently outstripping supply. Significant issues with market capacity within the residential and nursing care home market for older people has led to the urgent need for additional capacity and increased community-based alternatives.
“This plan aims to improve access to good quality and affordable accommodation, care, and support, which improved healthy life expectancy and offers individuals access to affordable services.”
According to the council, research has shown that extra care housing has positive impacts on resident health, with this reducing the number of GP visits, community health nurse visits and ambulance callouts, as well as reducing the amount of time that people might stay in hospital.
This new approach is also designed to meet the council’s design principles, including the development of a care provision framework to provide extra care and care homes services in the long term.
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