£5.4m Lifeline for Pensioners in Need of Care

By Sarah Hall, Norwich Evening News 24

United Kingdom

September 6, 2007

Elderly and disabled people in Norfolk have been offered a lifeline after work started on a multi-million state-of-the-art centre which will help hundreds of the county's most vulnerable people.

Work has begun on the £5.4m facility on the site of the former Huntingfields Care Home in Costessey and it will be specifically designed to care for hundreds of elderly people in Norfolk with various disabilities.

Today, health campaigners for the elderly welcomed the move which is set to help hundreds of pensioners and address serious inequalities in the provision of services for the elderly in the county.

The plight of the elderly came to light last year when we revealed the number of care homes has been cut over the past few years. In 2004 there were 329 care homes and today there are 240. 

Norfolk has a population of about 825,000 of which 170,000 people are over 65 and of these just 25,000 receive some sort of service from Norfolk Adult Social Services, less than 14pc.

Chris Mowle, cabinet member for Adult Social Services, said: “This is fantastic news for older people in Norwich, providing good quality support for older people is one of our top priorities and this scheme is a further step in the right direction.

“These plans are in line with Living Longer, Living Well, our Older People's Strategy, and represent a very real opportunity to develop a much needed resource.”

The new scheme is the result of a partnership project between Saffron Housing Trust, Norfolk County Council and Age Concern and respite overnight care and day services will be offered.

The centre, which will be completed in autumn next year, will combine 34 sheltered homes together with 20 respite care beds and a day service - meeting the needs of people in Norwich, South Norfolk and Broadland.

Hilary MacDonald, acting chief executive for Age Concern Norfolk, said “We know how important preventative services are to older people and their carers. We are very excited about this community support centre development - it's a new concept as well as a new building.

“The centre will not only allow us to offer all round quality respite and day services, it will also facilitate the ongoing development of new and innovative services to support older people to remain living in their own homes.”

Support for carers will be provided at the centre, helping to maximise independence for older people and it will also help in enabling people to be discharged from acute hospitals.

The centre can also be used to provide day services and as a base for further outreach into the local community.

The scheme is being built by award-winning firm Higgins Construction PLC, based on a design by NPS Property Consultants, a company wholly owned by Norfolk County Council. 

A care home crisis was revealed last year by the Evening News after inspectors highlighted “serious concerns” over standards at more than 20 homes in the county due to neglect, low staffing levels, medication errors and administration problems.

The plight of the elderly was brought to light by watchdogs and two homes were closed down by the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

While the Government awarded the county council £3.6m over two years for a pilot project to help maintain independent living for pensioners there were concerns over what would happen when the money runs out.

The scheme has been made possible by a £1million grant from the Housing Corporation together with a further £1.8million from Norfolk County Council. Saffron Housing Trust is providing the remaining £2.6million.

It is proposed that when another care complex, Ethel Tipple Court in Norwich is demolished, 40pc of the site is earmarked to provide new housing for people with physical disabilities.

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