Social and supported housing, like only a handful of things in life, will always be essential. Our role is the housing equivalent of a baker or a milkman – people will always need bread and milk, just as they will always need a safe place to call home.
Life poses many challenges, which have been harshly felt by communities this year. But what keeps us going? What inspires us to get up and out of bed each morning? Humans are resilient by nature and this resilience, coupled with the knowledge that we are not alone, is what helps us in our navigation of life.
However, as we enter into the later stages of life, we don’t always have the support system that we once had, and this is where our Independent Living services are absolutely vital. It provides a sense of togetherness, combats loneliness and enhances peer-to-peer communication.
This must continue if we want to keep our older generation happy, healthy and thriving.
The role of sheltered housing
At Abri Group we have many Independent Living schemes (including Extra Care) across the south and south west of England. At these schemes we have members of a dedicated team who oversee the day-to-day running of these homes from cleaning facilities to welfare considerations. For us, and our colleagues across the sector, sheltered housing for older adults isn’t just about providing a safe place to call home – although of course that is hugely important – it’s about providing a network of support for the people living there.
We get to know our customers to understand their needs, learn about their interests, and create a unity amongst the communities in each home. In this way, sheltered housing is much more than just a warm place to sleep it’s a unique community that combats loneliness.
Creating a sense of community cohesion
We are in a fortunate position to positively impact peoples lives, and we see this impact every day at our Independent Living schemes. From partnering with external agencies to bring activities and entertainment to residents, to encouraging people to spend time together in communal areas or by joining local community activities, we are always seeking new ways to bring people together across generations.
There is much more to good health than the physical elements, it’s about mental wellbeing too and by running weekly activities, getting to know people, and making suggestions for ways to unite customers, we can improve cognitive health. Independent Living offers us an opportunity to provide community cohesion and bring people together in the later stages of life, and we are not ignorant to our role in achieving that.
Sharing our practise to promote investment
Care and social housing for older adults is vital. That’s a simple statement to make, but the background behind it is complex. If we don’t exist to provide safe homes where care providers can visit, conversations can be shared, and needs met, then a large portion of society is not being looked after in the way they should.
We seek ways to demonstrate the role of Independent Living with our colleagues in the sector at any opportunity because we know that there needs to be an increase in investment. We want to show as many people as possible the importance of social housing so that the support from investors and government remains and, where possible, increases.
With this in mind, it isn’t just our duty to keep Independent Living going strong, but it is our duty to promote and speak up about the fundamental importance of it in our society.
Head of Supported Housing