Housing 'should be central' to social care review » Housing » 24dash.com

The National Housing Federation has responded to the Prime Minister’s announcement today of a review of social care for Britain's ageing population.

Gordon Brown said earlier today that without radical reform, the care system in England alone faces a £6bn shortfall within 20 years.

Mr Brown's announcement of the review has come as forecasters have revealed that in the next two decades a quarter of the UK's adult population will be over 65 and the number of people over 85 will have doubled.

Federation chief executive David Orr, who attended Mr Brown’s speech in central London this morning, said: “It’s imperative that housing provision is seen, in the review, as central to the future of adult social care.

“If we want health and social care to work together housing policy must be seen as a central component.

“Traditionally, housing has been the poor relation in these sorts of reviews – which has led to problems when new policy has been implemented.”

He added: “Appropriate housing is also essential to the provision of care for younger adults, with disabilities and special needs too. This is crucial to enabling them to lead meaningful lives.

“All too often housing provision for those in social care is geared solely around older people – but it needs to be for everyone.”