Memorandum by Care & Repair England
(DEC 63)
1. CARE &
REPAIR ENGLAND
1.1. Care & Repair England is a national
charity established in 1986 to improve the housing and living
conditions of older and disabled people.
1.2. Its aim is to innovate, develop, promote
and support housing policies and initiatives which enable older
and disabled people to live independently in their homes for as
long as they wish.
1.3. The interconnection of housing, health
and social care has been at the forefront of Care & Repair
England's work. A major part of the wider remit of the charity
has been to champion joint initiatives between housing, health
and social services at a local service delivery level.
2. THIS EVIDENCE
2.1. The aim of this evidence is to highlight
one specific aspect of the application of the Decent Homes Standard—the
need to ensure that the "livability" of homes is being
enhanced by improvements being undertaken to the housing stock
through the application of the Decent Homes Standard.
2.2. By "livability" we are referring
to the incorporation of features in housing which facilitate independent
living by people with disabilities, and reduce limiting and hazardous
design aspects.
3. DECENT HOMES
FOR DECENT
LIVES—ENHANCING
INDEPENDENCE FOR
OLDER AND
DISABLED PEOPLE
THROUGH THE
DECENT HOMES
STANDARD
3.1. More than two in five social households
include a member with a disability or long term illness (MORI/Housing
Corporation 2001) and the average age of the occupants of social
rented housing is higher than the average for the population as
a whole.
3.2. Ninety per cent of all older people
live in the general housing stock, and current health and social
care policies place great emphasis on enabling older and disabled
people to live independently in that general housing for as long
as possible.
3.3. Falls and accidents in the home are
a major cause of death and serious injury. The government is committed
through various programmes to reducing accidents and falls. The
modification of the Decent Homes Standard could contribute to
achieving such improvements.
3.4. Lifetime Homes criteria and Part M
standards are welcome attempts to look to the needs of the future.
However, there are certain aspects which limit their potential
and scope.
3.5. Their application is primarily targeted
at new-build schemes but the turnover of housing stock in Britain
is very slow (around 0.6%). More could be achieved if there was
also a requirement to improve accessibility and related features
on refurbishment, including major programmes to bring housing
stock up to the Decent Homes Standard.
3.6. Bathing requirements account for a
sizeable number of Disabled Facilities Grant applications (estimates
range from 30% to 51%). In many cases a shower is installed as
an alternative to a bath in order to enable people to continue
to bathe independently. A long-term vision to provide all homes
with a shower alternative might be something to aim for. A more
limited alternative would be that, where a major programme of
bathroom refurbishment is being undertaken as part of the implementation
of the Decent Homes Standard, householders could be offered the
option of installation of a shower rather than a bath, or as a
very minimum, grab rails and handrails could be installed at the
same time as a new bathroom suite is being fitted in order to
improve safety standards.
The current major improvements being undertaken
to housing through the implementation of the Decent Homes Standard
provides a unique opportunity to improve the quality of the housing
stock in a way that enhances the ability of older and disabled
people to live safely and independently in the general housing
stock.
4. EXAMPLES TO
ILLUSTRATE THE
POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS
TO CURRENT
APPLICATION OF
THE DECENT
HOMES STANDARD
4.1. As the following actual examples from
around England demonstrate, there is a great deal that could be
achieved within the existing programme of application of the Decent
Homes Standard with little or no additional expenditure.
4.2. The majority of improvement programmes
underway in the social housing stock include replacement of doors
and windows, rewiring, installation of central heating, replacement
of kitchens and bathrooms.
4.3. With minor changes to the specifications
for these improvements the quality of life for many older and
disabled people would be greatly improved, hazards and risks would
be reduced and independence enhanced.
Mrs A is 75 and has lived in the same LA
house on a large council estate for 42 years. The house was recently
improved through the installation of UPVC double glazed windows,
new UPVC doors and the installation of central heating.
Since these improvement were completed Mrs
A has tripped up a number of times, so far without serious injury,
over both the front and rear thresholds where there is now an
additional UPVC bar of c.8cm on top of an existing 15cm step.
All new window frames incorporate locking
mechanisms, including use of a small key and also necessitating
use of two hands to turn a handle and press down a small catch
in order to open the window. Because of arthritis, Mrs A has limited
dexterity and can no longer open many of her windows. To open
the kitchen window, she has to climb on a work surface and struggles
to open even a side window.
Mrs A has experienced considerable difficulties
with the use of the controls of the central heating system. The
main control unit is difficult for her to understand and also
(again because of the dexterity issue) hard for her to adjust.
Thermostats on the radiators have been positioned at the base
of the radiator making it difficult for her to reach them.
Mr and Mrs C are in their 80's. Mrs C is
a wheelchair user and her husband is her carer. They live in a
LA sheltered housing scheme.
This housing scheme was recently refurbished,
with the installation of new UPVC doors and windows. Where there
was previously level access for the wheelchair, the main exit
door from the sheltered housing scheme now has a UPVC threshold.
Mr C has had to make his own wooden ramps to enable him to get
the wheelchair in and out of the building.
5. MAIN PROPOSAL
5.1. Major refurbishment of existing stock
offers a chance to address accessibility issues in a more comprehensive
way than can be achieved either by new-build standards or by individualised
adaptations. The level of investment represented by applying the
Decent Homes Standard and developing the Sustainable Communities
Plan thus present a unique opportunity through which to "future-proof"
Britain's housing stock. Accessibility issues are currently missing
from these agendas.
5.2. Our proposal is that all specifications
for programmes of improvement to properties as part of compliance
with Decent Homes Standard should be vetted by an occupational
therapist in order to ensure that minimal standards are adhered
to with regard to improving accessibility and livability standards
including:
— Installation of new doors which do
not have an additional threshold which thereby introduces greater
falls hazards.
— Installation of new UPVC windows
which only have security mechanisms that are easy to operate by
people with limited dexterity.
— Location of windows only where it
is not necessary for people to climb onto work surfaces or chairs
to reach window locks.
— Specification of heating control
units which are easy to use by people with limited dexterity and
other common disabilities, such as sight limitation.
— Location of radiator thermostats
in a more accessible position.
— Improved location of electrical sockets
and lighting controls.
— Screening specification in order
to remove design features which can increase the risk of falls
and accidents.
— Bathroom improvements which give
the option of a shower installation and/or grab rails.
— Bathroom and kitchen improvements
which are specified to incorporate enabling design features such
as easy to turn taps.
Encompassing accessibility issues in the guidance
on implementing "decent homes" would be an important
step forward in improving the housing stock to meet the needs
of growing numbers of older and disabled people.
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