What living in supported housing is like

Supported housing is a flat or bungalow especially designed with the needs of elderly people in mind. Each scheme has a Supported Housing Officer who can offer certain support for their tenants.

You are encouraged to maintain your independence and are free at all times to come and go as you please. You are asked simply to let the Supported Housing Officer know if you intend to be away overnight or on holiday.

Most schemes are also able to offer guest accommodation so that you can have friends and relatives stay from time to time. There is a small charge for each night. The Supported Housing Officer can arrange this for you.

Most schemes have a communal lounge. Tenants use the room for meetings, clubs, social and recreational activities or just to meet up for a cup of tea and a chat. It is up to you and your neighbours to decide what you want to use it for. All schemes are encouraged to invite the elderly neighbours living outside supported housing to events in the communal lounge.

What the Supported Housing Officer does

Supported Housing Officers are recruited and trained to enable you to look after yourself and to lead an active independent life.

• When on duty, the Supported Housing Officer’s primary task is to respond to an emergency as quickly as possible so that in the event of, for example, an illness or a fall you can quickly get help.

Each scheme is equipped with an alarm system. All you need to do is pull one of the special alarm cords or press the button on your pendant alarm and the Supported Housing Officer will speak to you. If you cannot speak you can be assured that help will come quickly to see what has happened. The warden/supported housing officer will hold a key to open your door but will only use it in an emergency or with your clear permission.

In an emergency situation the Supported Housing Officer will contact the emergency services and inform your family of the situation. Supported Housing Officers keep the names, addresses and telephone numbers of your next-of kin and close friends, your doctor and any relevant details of your health. This is a confidential record kept solely to make sure the Supported Housing Officer can contact the right person in the event of an emergency. This information is also held by North Herts Careline.

• The Supported Housing Officer will also contact you regularly to ensure you are all right.
• If you need home care services, such as Meals On Wheels or special home aids, the Supported Housing Officer will try to help you obtain them by contacting the local Adult Care office for you
• Supported Housing Officers may also help you to arrange outings and social activities.

What the Supported Housing Officer does not do

Supported Housing Officers are not employed to perform duties for which statutory or voluntary bodies exist, or which are the responsibility of relatives living nearby.

Supported Housing Officers do not:

• Provide regular medical treatment. They are not nurses. If you need regular medical treatment your doctor can arrange for you to have visits from a community nurse.
• Administer drugs or medicines
• Perform domestic chores such as cleaning, cooking and shopping

They may help tenants to do these things for themselves, or to make arrangements for someone else to do them. They may take on some of these tasks temporarily, as part of an emergency response but only for a limited period of time until help is available from another source.

Generally, only one Supported Housing Officer is on duty at any one time and there are many other people in the scheme for whom they must offer a similar service.

There is a strict instruction that Supported Housing Officers cannot look after your money or valuables.

What happens when the Supported Housing Officer is away

Just like other members of staff Supported Housing Officers are allowed time off for holidays and weekends.

Whenever the Supported Housing Officer is off duty, unavailable or away from the scheme the alarm system is switched to the Community Alarm Service, otherwise known as North Herts Careline. In the event of an emergency, you will be able to contact them in the same way you would normally contact your Supported Housing Officer and they will be able to dispatch a Mobile Supported Housing Officer.