Extra care housing scheme to aid hospital bed delays

Manchester City Council is launching an extra care housing scheme to provide temporary homes for people who are fit to leave hospital but aren’t ready for full independence in their own homes.

Five neighbourhood apartments, leased to the council by Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, will provide a bridge for people leaving hospital and going home through the Village 135 Extra Care Housing Scheme complex.

People will be identified early on in their hospital stay by social workers as to whether an apartment would be a suitable next step in their care plan, so that when they are ready to be discharged from hospital there is no delay.

The apartments, fully furnished to a high specification to provide a home from home environment, will provide full day support through reablement officers, while the care provider, Human Support Group, is on site 24 hours a day for all the support needs of the individual.

Bev Craig, executive member for Adult Health and Wellbeing, said: “This is a real life example of the city’s vision around integration, where health and social care can work together effectively to make a difference to people’s lives. Not only do schemes like this help people to regain their confidence, independence and build up their strength again, but they also bring the potential to have an impact on patient flow and discharge from hospital. Crucially, it’s a better personal experience and stops people needing to be readmitted to hospital because they have had another accident or not been able to recover fully after an operation.”