The local government organisation COSLA and the Scottish Government have published an Age Home and Community Strategy which aims to provide the right advice, house and support  allowing older people to live the way they choose.

Right Advice, Right Home and Right Support under three main themes:  Right Advice, Right Home and Right Support.

An older people’s framework is to be developed by the Scottish Government to “tackle barriers to independent living for older people and promote older people’s rights and equality.”

Older people are also going to be supported in learning how to get online and use  the internet.

Many older people live in fuel poverty and to address this the Scottish Government is to introduce  a Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill targeting those most in need of extra payments.

Suitable housing is central to the strategy: affordable housing, Help to Buy, improving existing housing quality , wheelchair accessibility and security.

Kevin Stewart,Housing Minister in the Scottish Government said:

“When we published our original joint strategy seven years ago, we set out a vision to make housing and related support work well for older people.

“Alongside COSLA and partners in the health, housing and third sectors, we have reviewed and updated our action plan to better reflect the needs and aspirations of older people – addressing the issues of isolation and loneliness while improving access to suitable housing.

“Having the right advice, the right home and the right support will enable older people to live independently for as long as they choose to do so. Our new joint strategy will support that vision.”

Councillor Elena Whitham,  COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson said

“Today’s publication sets out the approach we will take to housing and older people – namely providing the right advice, house and support to allow older people to live the way they choose.

“The publication also set out how our older peoples housing strategy connects to other policies that affect outcomes for our aging population – this is especially welcome given the cross-cutting nature of issues and work ongoing in a number of related areas such as dementia, social isolation and loneliness.”

The strategy will be monitored annually and overseen by the  Monitoring and Advisory group .

Reporter: Fiona Grahame