Access solutions for an ageing population

Canary Care works with both families looking to support their older relatives, and Local Authorities and housing groups wanting to help their older residents to keep their independence.

Whichever route you come to address the challenge of supporting older people’s lifestyles, one thing is clear, it’s difficult to find good information about the kind of support available and how you go about accessing it. There is no retail market, though we hope this will develop as there is certainly a large unmet need. Some Local Authorities are building websites with products and services to help guide those who don’t receive funded support. There are some great online sites such as communityhousing.co.uk with a great range of devices to make life easier for families, but unless you know of these sites, what do you search for with google?

If we can expand the knowledge and awareness of support tools for older people, there is an amazing prize to be gained in greater wellbeing and longer, healthier years in later life. Maybe there is an opportunity for the government, which has a strong vested interest in keeping older people out of hospital and care homes, and the retail sector, to promote independent living so we achieve that prize.