This campaign has now closed
Most older people and their families dread the prospect of having to make the move into an "old folks home". They can be depressing, lifeless places where the rewards for the owners grow as more residents become dependant and infirm. Why not turn this whole arrangement on its head; build communities where people chose to go. Make them stimulating and fun places. Have an emphasis on good health and well being. Make them affordable for those with little money, but desireable for those with. Make them such exciting places that the wider community come in to use the facilities and meet older people.
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Beneficiaries
Situation
ExtraCare has reached a strategic agreement with Birmingham City Council to transform the opportunities available to older people. A total of 5 "villages" are to be built by ExtraCare over the next 6 years, at a cost of £200M. These projects spread throughout the city, will directly support 2,500 older people and a similar number from the wider community, who chose to use the central social, activity and learning facilities. The first village is under construction and planing permission is being sought for villages 2 and 3. The whole project is underpinned by the need to secure £10M of charitable funding to create the 5 village centres. Already over 4,000 older people and their families have registered with ExtraCare to either move into or use the first village in Erdington. The revenue funding for all 5 villages is secure thanks to agreements with local and national government, plus the health service. this allows ExtraCare to concentrate its efforts on securing the fundraised capital required. At the end we expect, based on past performance, to see the majority of older people living there, regain some independance, improve their well being, make fewer demands on the health services, have more fun and enjoy however many years they have in front of them. We will also see husband/wife and partners remain together and not separated due to care/support needs. We expect demand for places to outstrip supply by a ratio of 15:1 !!