North Yorkshire Council to expand housing for the elderly

North Yorkshire County Council's executive is taking the first step in a £1m procurement exercise to expand its Extra Care programme for older people.

The county council will now assess potential specialist partners in an undertaking that could revolutionise care and support for the vulnerable as well as older people with a further 30 Extra Care housing schemes across the county by 2020.

The executive has given the go-ahead for £50,000 in funding to be released for initial legal advice on proposed contracts.

By the end of this decade, North Yorkshire faces the prospect of one in four of the population being aged over 65, 65 per cent more people aged over 85 with one in four over 80 experiencing significant dementia.

Extra Care allows people to maintain independence within their communities secure in the knowledge that round-the-clock care and support is available according to need, coupled with facilities such as a restaurant, hairdressers' salon, hobbies rooms, library facilities and other resources.

To date the county council has invested £11.8m in 14 Extra Care schemes, with five more in development.

County Councillor Clare Wood, executive member for health and adult services, said: "This is a self-financing model which could bring in millions of pounds to the county through regeneration as well as creating a massive opportunity for the construction industry, bringing jobs into the region."

Further information:
North Yorkshire County Council