Extra Care Wokingham Housing Project
A major new project to ensure Wokingham Borough Council can meet the changing care needs of its older population has been launched.
The Wokingham council plans to knock down its increasingly outdated Crescent House sheltered housing units in South Lake Crescent, Woodley, and replace it with state-of-the-art Extra Care Housing accommodation in order to better meet the demands of older people in the borough.
The Wokingham borough’s population is getting older - the number of people aged 75 and older is estimated to double between 2003 and 2028 and this population of older people expects better quality and greater choice in accommodation. It is to meet this new demand that Wokingham Borough Council is planning to develop Extra Care Housing to replace sheltered accommodation at Crescent House.
Extra Care Housing provides self-contained accommodation for elderly people and offers care as required for their changing needs. The Wokingham homes would be suitable for a range of older people – from those who are active and have few or no care needs, to those requiring 24-hour care and support. The care offered could be adapted as the occupier’s needs change – thus if an elderly resident moves into Extra Care Housing with no care needs but later develops them, it will be possible for additional care to be provided within their home. This will prevent the upheaval of elderly people having to move from homes into residential nursing or care homes as their needs increase.
Extra Care Housing will also offer larger and more comfortable homes than the existing sheltered housing scheme at Crescent House, which is nearly 40 years old and no longer meets the expectations of a more demanding older population. The Extra Care Homes also have the advantage over residential homes of being private, individual homes that allow residents to keep their independence.
The Wokingham council is currently carrying out a feasibility study into the development of the site for Extra Care Housing and the potential for partnership working and will consult all those who may be affected by the scheme before detailed decisions on the project are made.
Wokingham Borough Council’s Crescent House project manager Carol Dunbar said: “The demand for conventional sheltered housing is falling because more older people in the borough want a wider range of accommodation and leisure facilities. Many older people are used to living in larger homes and so do not want to move into what are actually very small units. Extra Care Housing could offer good sized high quality, self-contained accommodation that provides on-site communal and leisure facilities and has care available to meet their changing needs.
The Wokingham council plans to knock down its increasingly outdated Crescent House sheltered housing units in South Lake Crescent, Woodley, and replace it with state-of-the-art Extra Care Housing accommodation in order to better meet the demands of older people in the borough.
The Wokingham borough’s population is getting older - the number of people aged 75 and older is estimated to double between 2003 and 2028 and this population of older people expects better quality and greater choice in accommodation. It is to meet this new demand that Wokingham Borough Council is planning to develop Extra Care Housing to replace sheltered accommodation at Crescent House.
Extra Care Housing provides self-contained accommodation for elderly people and offers care as required for their changing needs. The Wokingham homes would be suitable for a range of older people – from those who are active and have few or no care needs, to those requiring 24-hour care and support. The care offered could be adapted as the occupier’s needs change – thus if an elderly resident moves into Extra Care Housing with no care needs but later develops them, it will be possible for additional care to be provided within their home. This will prevent the upheaval of elderly people having to move from homes into residential nursing or care homes as their needs increase.
Extra Care Housing will also offer larger and more comfortable homes than the existing sheltered housing scheme at Crescent House, which is nearly 40 years old and no longer meets the expectations of a more demanding older population. The Extra Care Homes also have the advantage over residential homes of being private, individual homes that allow residents to keep their independence.
The Wokingham council is currently carrying out a feasibility study into the development of the site for Extra Care Housing and the potential for partnership working and will consult all those who may be affected by the scheme before detailed decisions on the project are made.
Wokingham Borough Council’s Crescent House project manager Carol Dunbar said: “The demand for conventional sheltered housing is falling because more older people in the borough want a wider range of accommodation and leisure facilities. Many older people are used to living in larger homes and so do not want to move into what are actually very small units. Extra Care Housing could offer good sized high quality, self-contained accommodation that provides on-site communal and leisure facilities and has care available to meet their changing needs.
Wokingham Borough Council
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