Bradford to invest in extra care

Bradford council’s executive has approved plans to create four new extra care developments to address the accommodation and support needs of the elderly and people with dementia in the district. The move is part of Bradford’s Great Places to Grow Old plan which aims to ensure older people can stay in their own homes during changes to their care needs or a crisis, have more opportunities to stay part of the community and can access specialist housing and support when it is not possible to stay in their own home. The four schemes – Saltaire Extra Care/Intermediate Care, Airedale Extra Care/Intermediate Care, Goitside Extra Care and Thackley/Ellar Carr extra care – mark the first phase of the plan. Land for the Thackley/Ellar site will be sold to Housing 21, which will develop the scheme in partnership with the council. Bradford is to bid for Housing and Communities Agency funding for the other three schemes. The council wants to reduce its reliance on intensive care and support services and rejected plans in July for further residential care developments. Bradford’s executive said the local authority’s in-house care home buildings were not fit for the long-term future. It now wants to plan for new types of services in partnership with other organisations that will meet the expectations of tomorrow’s older people’. Specialist dementia care services, however, will remain in place. In-house services, however, will not be decommissioned until alternative accommodation is identified and a programme to deliver this is approved. Executive member for adult services, Cllr Amir Hussain said: Joining forces with other council services and the NHS means we have a better overview of the needs of our older population and more flexibility in terms of funding ensuring that we continue our emphasis on quality of care. Our shared priority is having enough support for our growing older population and the means to give them choice, independence and dignity.’

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