FirstStop, the advice service of Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC), delivers the downsizing agenda through information, advice and casework.
• Information on housing options is available on the website, which can route people to a range of housing and care in the right area
• People can also get advice from a freephone line, backed up by personalised options reports
• FirstStop has established FirstStop Moving Home, which links people wishing to move to our partners serving London and the south east, south, west and east Yorkshire
• Face-to-face casework with older people in 20 areas in England
So what does the evidence tell us about the practical implications for older people, the role that advice agencies like FirstStop can play and the constellation of local services required to make downsizing work?
In 2011 over 9,000 people received housing options reports from FirstStop with detailed advice on sheltered & retirement housing. But how many do we know have actually downsized?
Nationally, we can report that the evaluation of FirstStop undertaken by Cambridge university included a postal survey of people who had used the service in Autumn 2010, of which 19% said that they had planned or had moved to sheltered housing, 9% to residential and 4% to nursing care. This is greater than the total who had taken no action (30%).
Locally, we have evidence from partner projects funded or supported by FirstStop since November 2009. Analysis of the case notes by Cambridge in five areas revealed that 65% of older people receiving advice from a local caseworker wished to move and we can make the assumption that the most of those wanted to move somewhere smaller. Where the outcomes were known in two areas 59% of people had downsized.
So how has this happened and how far was this an informed choice ? All the FirstStop network projects have case studies, illuminating the complexity and sensitivity of casework as well as the interconnectedness of health, housing and care. The example below illustrates the benefit of downsizing to the older person, local authority, health services and families needing accommodation.
Case Study
SA, from Stourport in Worcestershire, was referred by a friend, concerned about her home, which was in a poor state — with no cooking or bathing facilities and only one coal fire for heat. Mrs A had lived there for 30 years but was now sleeping on the sofa downstairs and eating her meals at the local café, or relying on Cup-a-soups at home. Her two children had moved and her husband had died a year before.
The FirstStop adviser met Mrs A at the local café, who explained that she would prefer to move somewhere smaller and more suitable. The caseworker helped her join the local choice-based lettings scheme and worked with the local housing association to bid for ground floor flats. She also found the house deeds and helped get it to auction.
Mrs A has now moved to a ground floor apartment, with easy access to shops and a GP surgery and better facilities including a level access shower. She is now getting all her benefits and address details and accounts for gas and electric have been changed.
Once Mrs A's house has been sold at auction, the caseworker will organise for a FirstStop financial advisor to visit to discuss options for investing her capital.
Daniel Pearson is a director at FirstStop
