What is extra care?
Extra care is retirement living in a community where there is a vision to add ‘life to years’ for residents. It includes high-quality individual homes with a diverse range of activities, services, and support, including domiciliary care for those who need it.
Aimed at individuals over 55, the service seeks to be an intergenerational supportive community.
Extra care housing is designed specifically with the needs of older people in mind, with varying levels of care and support available on site. People who live in extra care developments have their own self-contained homes, front doors, and a legal right to occupy the property.
The ‘extra’ in extra care housing is generally recognised to be access to care services that can:
- Respond quickly to residents changing needs.
- Provide unplanned care as and when required in addition to planned care.
- Provide an emergency response.
Extra care is a popular choice among older people because it aims to provide a home for the rest of a person’s life, and hopefully provide an alternative to a care home at a later stage.
In addition, there are communal facilities including a resident’s lounge, guest suite, laundry, a restaurant or dining room, hobby rooms, gardens, and even computer rooms.
Properties can be rented, owned, or part owned/part rented. There’s a limited (though increasing) amount of extra care housing in most areas, and many providers set eligibility criteria that prospective residents have to meet.
Gilbert Court
Bromsgrove & District Housing Trust (bdht), Bromsgrove’s largest affordable housing provider, opened its doors to Gilbert Court in 1999. The development of 90+ apartments and bungalows, just off Gilbert Road, has been designed to give those over 55 the care and support they need to live independently. Residents have access to extra facilities should they want or need to use them.
The scheme allows residents to enjoy an on-site restaurant, a community room and kitchen, a hobbies room, a hairdressing salon and beauty room, two assisted bathing rooms, a laundry, and two guest rooms.
Eclipse Homecare’s award-winning team provide extra care at Gilbert Court and have developed a broad range of services.
Gilbert Court provides everything from a daily health check for all clients to a 24-hour on-site care team for residents. Services are tailored to every resident’s needs by working directly with families, GPs, and social services.
Eclipse Homecare’s vision is for a service focused around local community interaction through the development of a range of low-cost ‘lifetime activities’.
We offer activities such as film nights, double top darts, knit & natter, and a ‘just for men’ social group, all available to the local community and Gilbert Court residents.
Terryspring Court
Terryspring Court opened its doors in 2000. The block of 58 flats on West Avenue in Redditch has been designed to give those over 55 the care and support they need to live independently. Residents have access to extra facilities should they want or need to use them.
Residents have access to a range of facilities, including a lounge, dining room, laundry, guest facilities, garden, community centre, hobby room, activities room, shop, hairdressing salon, jacuzzi, bar, library, and assisted bathing facility. The entire site is wheelchair accessible.
Eclipse HomeCare’s award-winning team provide extra care at Terryspring Court and have developed a broad range of services.
Terryspring Court provides everything from a daily health check for all clients to a 24-hour on-site care team for residents and Careline alarm service. Support is tailored to every resident’s needs by working directly with families, GPs, and social services.
Eclipse Homecare’s vision is for a service focused on local community interaction through the development of a range of low-cost ‘lifetime activities’.
We offer regular activities such as entertainers, social clubs, group activities, and a ‘just for men’ social group. These are all available to both the local community and Terryspring Court residents.
Aging redefined with ADL Smartcare
Over the last 12 months, we’ve been developing a highly innovative service to improve the quality of life for clients through proactive reablement supported by ADL LifeCurve.
Developed by ADL Research and Newcastle University’s Institute for Aging, ADL LifeCurve is used to map age-related functional decline. It provides a framework for understanding the most appropriate stage to intervene, and which interventions are most effective.
As ADL products are continually updated with emerging understanding, we have the ability to match individuals with the right products, services, and advice that can help them slow the rate of age-related decline. ADL LifeCurve gives older adults the independence they need to live better lives for longer.
This programme is backed by thousands of real-time assessments which show impressive improvements on independence and quality of life.
In almost every scenario, only 15 to 30 minutes a day with one of our trained team members is all that’s required. Read our Aging Redefined Pilot Study and watch client testimonials to learn more.
Research shows that early intervention and prevention is most effective with those who are in the early stages of age-related functional decline.
By using the LifeCurve, we can meet the requirements of the Care Act with supported assessments that enable us to provide better outcomes and best practice guidance.
