A
Abbeyfield Houses are run by voluntary organisations and offer supported housing for between 6 and 12 older people. A majority are owned and managed by independent local Abbeyfield Societies, but a gr....
read moreServices that offer advice and/or information to older people to help them deal with problems in their home, or choose, find and afford whatever alternative housing, care or support they are looking f....
read moreA small group of Advice & Information Agencies that have worked together to develop HousingCare.org. They include EAC, Help the Aged, Age Concern England, Foundations, HoDis, ERoSH and Care & ....
read moreAge Concern is the largest charitable movement in the UK concerned with the needs and aspirations of older people and the leading authority on ageing related issues.
In England, Age Concern is a fed....
read moreOur impartial housing advice service, AIMS (Advice‚ Information and Mediation Service), is there to help people living or working in private retirement or sheltered housing.
Do you live in pr....
read moreA community alarm service provides peace of mind for people who feel at risk in their own homes. It is a 24 hour 365 day monitoring service giving the freedom to live independently knowing that assist....
read moreAlmshouses are independent local charitable trusts that provide affordable housing for older people in need. Most are for older people living in a specific geographical area or connected with a partic....
read moreThe Association of Retirement Housing Managers (ARHM), represents 52 organisations which, between them, manage 79,000 retirement properties. ARHM Statement: The Association is committed to high standa....
read moreA new feature of HousingCare.org that we're currently developing. It will enable you to put your questions to the Advice Team at EAC, or one of our partner advice agencies.
At present, use our Advic....
read moreLocal authority Social Services departments are responsible for assessing individual people’s need for "community care services", and arranging or providing services to meet their identified personal ....
read moreA name initially introduced from the United States to describe a form of 'housing with care' designed for older people, and now adopted by a number of housing developers for both the private and renta....
read moreTelecare and Assistive technology are alarm systems and monitoring devices that can help support vulnerable people to continue living independently in their own homes.....
read moreAttendance Allowance (AA) is a welfare benefit paid by the Department for Work & Pensions. It is not means tested, is tax free, doesn’t depend on National Insurance contributions, and does not cou....
read moreC
Throughout Scotland, Care & Repair Services offer advice and assistance with housing repairs, adaptations and improvements, so that people’s homes can remain suitable for their needs. The se....
read moreA residential setting where a number of older people live, usually in single rooms, and have access to on-site care services. Since April 2002 all homes in England, Scotland and Wales are known as ‘ca....
read moreEAC's Care Options database includes descriptions of around 14,000 care homes in the UK that cater for older people. These include homes registered to provide personal care, and those that can also pr....
read more The Care Options classificationSimply read the four pen portaits below. Each describes a different kind of person. If you can identify more with one of these people than the others, remember their co....
read moreChoice-based lettings are a new way that some local councils and housing associations are letting their properties. Although there are differences between areas, the common feature is that once you ha....
read moreThe Centre for Housing and Support (formerly known as CSHS) is at the forefront of national training provision for professionals working in Housing-related Support. By delivering a framework of high-q....
read moreThe Code of Practice of the Centre for Housing & Support is an externally assessed "kite mark", similar to Investors in People or Charter Mark, specifically designed for housing related support servic....
read moreClose Care schemes are a relatively new concept and consist of independent flats or bungalows built on the same site as a care home. Residents often have some services (such as cleaning) included in t....
read moreBoth Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit are related to income and savings, and they are administered by local authorities according to complex rules set by the Government. People who receive the ....
read moreThe Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is an independent public body which came into being in April 2004. It brings together the work previously undertaken by the Social Services Inspectorat....
read moreE
EAC's Housing Options database contains information about almost all housing for older people in the UK. By housing we mean self-contained flats, bungalows or houses - to buy or to rent.
The databas....
read moreThere are a number of financial products or 'plans' which help older home owners to turn some of the value of their homes into cash - a lump sum, regular extra income, or sometimes both. There are dif....
read moreNew forms of sheltered housing and retirement housing have been pioneered in recent years, to cater for older people who are becoming more frail and less able to do everything for themselves.
Extra ....
read moreH
Home care or Domicilary Care
Care provided in an individual’s home, normally of a personal nature – help with dressing, washing, toileting etc. Can be arranged by Social Services following an assess....
read moreHome Improvement Agencies (HIAs) are local not for profit organisations funded and supported by local and central government. They provide advice, support and assistance to elderly, disabled and vulne....
read moreHOOP is shorthand for EAC's Housing Options for Older People questionnaire. On this website, the questionnaire is simply called How well does your home suit you?
The is also another, longer, version....
read moreThe Charity Hospice Information Service explains as follows:
Hospice care is one of the UK's outstanding success stories. From the opening of the first modern hospice, St Christopher's, in south Lond....
read moreHousing Associations are independent not-for-profit organisations that provide affordable homes (for rent or to purchase) for people in need. Housing Associations that have registered with the Ho....
read moreHousing Benefit (HB) provides financial help towards rent and some service charges for private, local authority and housing association tenants, and it is payable either to the claimant or to the land....
read moreThe Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN), formerly responsible for managing the Department of Health's (DH) Extra Care Housing capital programme, is the leading 'knowledge hub' for a growing....
read moreThis is jargon, or shorthand, that's used more and more amongst people who work in housing or advice & information services. We use it here to reflect a postive approach to making decisions about ....
read moreHousingCare.org's Library (or Knowledge Base) contains over 1,000 reading materials (fact-sheets, booklets and articles), audio tapes, videos and translations about all aspects of housing, care a....
read moreL
Leasehold Schemes for the Elderly (LSE) are run by a small number housing associations and involve you buying a proportion (e.g. 70%) of the equity of the property, the remaining portion being owned b....
read moreAn agreement giving the right to occupy accommodation. Licenses are used by many almshouses charities, some Abbeyfield Societies, some charities and also for private lettings. Licenses provi....
read moreLife Interest Plans offer the opportunity to purchase the right to occupy a retirement property for life, or for both of your lifetimes, in the case of couples. This can reduce substantially the capit....
read moreP
Park homes are residential mobile homes, some resembling bungalows and others closer to traditional caravans. Currently there are about 250,000 people living in park homes on more than 1700 sites in E....
read morePart exchange can be very useful but you are advised to compare the price offered with the full market value. We suggest you seek professional legal and financial advice before signing any contract.....
read morePension Credit is a means tested benefit that contributes towards a guaranteed level of income for people aged 60 and over. From 2010 the age from which you will be able to get Pension Credit will gra....
read morePart of the Department for Work and Pensions set up to improve the service you receive, whether you are already a pensioner or are planning for your retirement, no matter how far off it might be. The ....
read morePersonal Care includes: assistance with dressing, feeding, washing and toileting, as well as advice, encouragement and emotional and psychological support. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) de....
read moreR
The new general name for not-for-profit housing providers approved and regulated by Government through the Housing Corporation. The vast majority of Registered Social Landlords are also known as Housi....
read moreApart from in Northern Ireland where it is still used, residential care homes are now generally referred to simply as care homes. And what used to be called nursing homes are now called care homes wit....
read moreA Residents Association is a democratically elected and recognised body of residents in sheltered housing or retirement housing that represents all or most of the residents....
read moreShort term care, usually in a care home, but possibly at home with the assistance of professional carers. People may consider respite care for a number of reasons:
after a stay in hospital, while ....
read moreHousing developments of a similar type to sheltered housing (see Glossary entry), but built for sale, usually on a leasehold basis in England, freehold in Scotland.
It has become customary to s....
read moreAn increasingly popular concept, but unfortunately lacking any single, clear definition. Essentially anything from an estate to a full blown village-sized development of bungalows, flats or houses, in....
read moreS
The job title of the person responsible for managing a sheltered or retirement housing scheme. Also known as the Warden or House Manager.
Some housing schemes have a resident scheme manager and a 24....
read moreThe services that are provided in retirement housing are paid for through a service charge. If you are renting, the service charge will be included in your rent, if you have bought the property leaseh....
read moreA small number of housing associations offer the option of buying a proportion of the value of the property (between 5% and 95%) and paying rent on the remainder. The share of the equity can usually b....
read moreShared ownership is a way of buying a stake in a property if you cannot afford to buy it outright. You have sole occupancy rights, that is you do not have to share your home with anyone else.
Shared....
read moreSheltered housing (also known as retirement housing) means having your own flat or bungalow in a block, or on a small estate, where all the other residents are older people (usually over 55). With a f....
read moreThe State Retirement Pension is paid to people who have reached the state retirement age. The amount you receive will depend on the number of years of national insurance contributions you have paid or....
read moreThe Supporting People Grant covers the support provided by an emergency alarm service and/or the Scheme Manager. This support can include emergency help, emotional advice, information and advice about....
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