Information for Older People

Thinking ahead: Housing and related care options for older people – a guide for those who care for older people

This is a guide for carers about the housing and related care options for older people in later life. It has been produced by Silverlinks in partnership with Carers UK.

It offers carers and the person care for: –

•             pointers for making decisions together on the suitability of the home

•             information on the options available in making the home a better place to live

•             moving options in later life

•             the things to think about if considering moving in together

•             where to find more detailed information and advice

Follow this link to read the guide: Thinking ahead: Housing and related care options for older people – a guide for those who care for older people

Planning Ahead for Housing in Later Life 

The following guides enable older people with long term health conditions and their carers to think through the housing implications of the health condition and make plans accordingly, particularly with regard to future housing needs. There are six guides covering respiratory, macular and heart disease, dementia, stroke and arthritis; and one general guide for people with long term conditions.

Each guide advises on what people can do to their home to make living with these conditions more manageable. They also describe the range of alternative housing options and offers suggestions about where to find more detailed information, advice and help.

Click here for:

• Making your home a better place to live with a long term condition
• Making your home a better place to live with heart disease
• Making your home a better place to live with respiratory diseases
• Making your home a better place to live with macular disease
• Making your home a better place to live after a stroke
• Making your home a better place to live with dementia
• Making your home a better place to live with arthritis

Thinking Ahead 

Silverlinks aims to provide older people with information about Housing, Care & Related Finance in Later Life.

We have developed a new “teach yourself” booklet  which you can work through online in your own time.    It  will help you to understand what housing & care options may be available to you in later life, and include practical activities and checklists for people who want to start thinking ahead.

Click here to download a print-friendly version which you can print and read through.

You can also download our Silverlinks factsheets here:

For information on adaptations and equipment: Adptations Factsheet.

For information on specialist housing for older people:  Housing for Older People factsheet

For help thinking about a new home: Moving Decision Checklist

For help thinking about the costs of moving home:  Moving Home Cost Checklist

Sharing Experiences  

Sharing experiences of staying put or moving home  to help others reach a decision that’s right for them is a vital part of the work that the Silverlinks carries out.

These short films are about older people’s own experience of either moving or staying put

Glyn Davies talking about his experiences of moving from Silverlinks on Vimeo.

The short film, “Your Home is Your Castle” shows two stories of older people who have made changes in their home to help them remain living independently in their homes.

Your Home Is Your Castle from Lorna Easterbrook on Vimeo.

More information 

Further self training modules about Housing & Care Options in later life are available to download  from the First Stop website – the modules cover living safely at home; housing choices; income in retirement and housing equity.

You can click here and select the module you want to look at.

EAC First Stop offer advice to older people, carers and families to help older people get the help they need to live as independently and as comfortably as possible. For advice on living well and safely at home, you can contact EAC First Stop advice at  www.firststopcareadvice.org.uk.

Care Act 

Click here  for a guide to the Care Act  and the changes to how your care is paid for which come into effect from April 2015 and 2016.   This guide, published by Care & Repair England,  is an overview of the main points to consider when thinking about your future housing & care and not a full explanation of all of the changes.  As the legislation is complex, we strongly advise that you take independent, specialist advice from First Stop, Age UK or Independent Age (contact details are in the guide).