Age, Home and Community: next phase

1

We will promote greater collaboration between the UK nations to share wider housing information and practice that benefits an ageing population.

2

We will work with local authorities, health and social care partnerships and other stakeholders to ensure the positive connections between health, social care and housing are recognised in Local Housing Strategies, Housing Contribution Statements and local development plans, to support the delivery of suitable housing in the right place for older people in the private and public sectors.

3

We will continue to ask older people for their views and opinions to help inform and monitor the next phase of the strategy.

4

We will continue to support the service provided by Care and Repair to older homeowners as a trusted source of advice and handyperson services, as well as using the opportunity to further develop beneficial partnerships with the fire service and Home Energy Scotland.

5

The Scottish Government will continue to support the Fairer Scotland Action Plan measures to ensure older people have a thriving third age.

6

The Scottish Government will develop an older people’s framework, making sure we continue to tackle barriers to independent living for older people and promote older people’s rights and equality.

7

We will continue to tackle inequalities by helping older people get online and develop basic digital skills to improve their home environment.

8

We will initiate a “planning for the future” campaign so that older people are prompted to make informed choices about how their housing meets their needs both now and in the future.

9

The Scottish Government has committed to delivering at least 50,000 affordable homes over the lifetime of the current Parliament and will ensure that this includes flexibility to deliver homes which can be adapted for older people and people with physical disabilities.

10

Scottish Government will work with stakeholders at both national and local level to improve the strategic planning, funding and delivery arrangements for adaptations.

11

The Scottish Government will continue to support improvement of housing quality by implementing fuel poverty measures to ensure older people have a warm and comfortable home.

12

The Scottish Government has increased access to our shared equity home ownership schemes for older people and will work with other organisations to address the financial barriers to older people moving to a suitable home.

13

We will explore options to meet the demand for reasonably priced homes that suit the needs of older people.

14

The Scottish Government will take action through the National Dementia Strategy to ensure those diagnosed with dementia have access to the right housing and support to enable them to live in their home independently for as long as possible.

15

The Scottish Government will investigate the possibility of extending an equity loan scheme for house repairs and adaptations.

16

We will work with housing stakeholders and organisations working with older and disabled people, to increase awareness of the Home2Fit accessible housing register.

17

The Scottish Government will continue to develop Scotland's new social security system, ensuring that it treats people with dignity and respect and supports people while applying for, being assessed for, and receiving benefits, with a Scottish agency delivering devolved benefits.

18

Scottish Government will develop a social isolation strategy to address loneliness.

19

We will work with key stakeholders to develop training to support frontline housing and other staff to provide them with the skills to conduct housing options conversations with clients.

20

We will increase the understanding and use of Technology Enabled Care ( TEC) in all tenures.

21

We will work with partners to fully embed Self-directed Support ( SDS) as our mainstream approach to social care.

22

The Scottish Government will take forward a collaborative review of our National Transport Strategy, with accessibility identified as a key aspect to enabling older people to stay socially active.