LOS ANGELES: All of us want to stay in our own homes as long as we can as we get older. It’s good for us and it saves on the cost of residential care.
But how can we create homes that enable people to live independently while remaining safe and supported? Here are five tips for creating better supported housing:
3. Get clued up on dementia
Many millions will have dementia by 2025. Housing providers need to cater for this – and this means going well beyond token gestures like building dementia-friendly gardens.
Gather data and develop a better understanding of the needs of people living with dementia. Think about the design, the build and the recruitment and training of care staff. Commission your own research and constantly gather evidence to inform the approach you take.
Train as many of your staff as possible to help them deal with people living with dementia and take advantage of some of the great schemes that are already out there, like the Dementia Friends initiative.