Meeting needs of an ageing York

The city of York, which already has a high number of residents aged over 75, is set to see this figure rise by 50 per cent by the year 2030. To combat this, council chiefs have pressed ahead in recent months with an Older People’s Accommodation Programme (OPA) to modernise its care provision and ensure facilities are “fit for purpose”.

And as it emerges that more than 720 extra care homes and beds are set to be created in the city by the end of 2020, councillors say the time to act is now.

“We are living longer,” said Coun Carol Runciman, executive member for adult social care and health. “There’s a growing demand. But we can’t keep homes open that are not up to the present standards. The people in them deserve better facilities. We have some marvellous care homes, with some excellent carers. But it’s the buildings that are the problem.”

In the next 15 years, the number of York residents aged over 65 is set to increase from 36,000 to 46,000, and those aged over 75 increasing from 17,000 to over 26,000. York Council’s scheme aims to make the city’s existing sheltered housing more accessible for people with higher care needs, demolishing and replacing more dated homes with modern accommodation through private providers.

The authority now estimates that through this, there will be around 320 new extra care homes to rent and to buy and over 400 new care beds in the city by 2020.

Among the schemes underway are at Glen Lodge, where the authority is adding an extension to build 27 new homes for residents. Land housing the former Oakhaven care home has been agreed for sale to create an extra care facility with 56 apartments, while the former Fordlands site is to make way for a 62-bed care home from Octopus Healthcare. On a further site, demolition began in February at the former Burnholme school which has been earmarked for a new £35m ‘health and wellbeing campus’ for the elderly.

Many of the city’s care homes do not meet required standards, councillors have said, and moves must be made to combat this.

“We’ve got care homes in the city that are out of date,” said Coun Runciman. “What we had to do was to make sure whatever accommodation we had was up to standards.”

This has been done by decreasing numbers in certain care homes, before moving residents to another to allow for it to be demolished. This, she said, had been quite well received considering the potential disruption.

“When you talk about care homes, the most important word is homes,” she added. “I know it’s been very difficult for some residents and their families who have become very attached to where they live. Moving is a difficult process. But it’s got to be absolutely fit for purpose.”

Coun Janet Looker, Labour leader, said this was one area in which all parties were agreed. “People are getting older,” she said. “And the system that we used to have, where people used to get to the age of 65 or 70 and go into an older person’s home to die, just doesn’t exist anymore.

“The whole dynamic has changed. People want to stay in their own homes. We are focusing very much on the extra care model, where people have their own homes but there is still additional care available if needed.

“It feels like there’s a plan, and that plan is on track.”