‘Very sheltered’ housing is where residents have their own self contained flat but are situated in a larger complex where catering is provided and common areas exist for socialising with other residents. This development is reserved for elderly tenants who have some mobility but need assistance with day to day living.

We are also building 8 amenity flats at Cairn Drive, Linwood.  An ‘Amenity’ flat is a fully self contained flat but with specific designs that assist residents with limited mobility. For example, non- slip flooring is provided in the bathroom and kitchen, grab rails are installed as required. Again, this type of housing will normally be let to older applicants, who have medical/ mobility problems but who can manage their own cooking.

The very sheltered housing development contains 27 homes for older people and is located at Kinnaird Drive in Linwood.  It consists of a mixture of 1 and 2 bedroom flats.  All tenancies will have their own lounge/kitchen facilities and will have an alarm call system for use in emergencies, in addition to enhanced security by a controlled entry access system.  There will be a communal dining area for all residents where two nutritious meals will be provided each day, usually a full lunch followed by a light evening meal.  There is also a communal lounge where tenants will be able to enjoy social contact and companionship with other residents and friends.

Houses are spread across three separate floors and a lift is provided for access to the upper floors.  A specially adapted bathroom will allow assisted bathing, and there will be access to laundry facilities.  Some of the tenancies will be adapted to meet the needs of wheelchair users.

A key feature of the development is the level of social care support that will be made available to tenants.  Home care services will be available 24 hours a day by a dedicated team of home carers who will provide personal care, domestic assistance and housing support.

It is expected that older people who are allocated tenancies will already be receiving high levels of care such as home care, day care, or regular support from a carer or relative.  In addition it is envisaged that many tenants will have significant medical needs and therefore inputs from health care professionals will be a regular feature of the overall support package.

A spokesperson for Linstone Housing Association said, "We are very excited about this innovative development in extra care housing for older people.  We think that it will make an important contribution to allowing older people to continue living in their community where they can rely on support and friendship.  We think it will make a real difference to the quality of their lives."

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