THE newly inducted MP for Weston visited a sheltered housing complex in Weston to help mark ‘Starts at Home Day’.

Starts at Home Day is a national celebration of the value of care and support services and the difference that having a safe and secure place to call home can make to people’s lives.

It is an opportunity for sheltered housing providers such as Abbeyfield to raise awareness of what they do and build political support.

Dan Aldridge MP spent some time at Abbeyfield House in Weston-Super-Mare last week to mark the occasion.

Mr Aldridge visited Abbeyfield on 30th August. Following a tour of the facilities, he met with some of the house’s residents to find out how living there has enriched their lives, and discussed with staff how the house supports the residents day-to-day.

Abbeyfield House is managed by Abbeyfield Living Society (ALS), a national charity and part of the Abbeyfield movement that provides housing, care, and support for thousands of older people worldwide.

Sheltered housing is also of great value to UK society as a whole in that it reduces pressure on the NHS, promotes the health and wellbeing of residents and saves money.

The National Housing Federation, which supports Starts at Home Day, estimates that without supported housing there would be 41,000 more homeless people, costing over £40,000 per person per year.

In addition, there would be a need for 14,000 more inpatient psychiatric places, costing £170,000 per person per year; a need for 2,500 more residential care places, each costing £45,000-£50,000 per year; and a need for 2,000 more prison places, each costing £32,700 per year.

Sheltered Housing Manager, Sharon Thomas, also explained how Abbeyfield House engages with its local community and the difficulties faced by sheltered housing (also known as supported housing) providers around the country.

Issues such as inflexible funding models and meeting the complex needs of an ageing population are compounded by rising operating costs, inflation and challenges with staff recruitment and retention.

Commenting on his visit to Abbeyfield, The MP said, “It was a privilege to visit Abbeyfield House. Weston Super-Mare needs to find out more about the work they do and the valuable services that Abbeyfield provides for older people.

“The challenges that housing providers face were also made clear, and I look forward to seeing how I can support providers like Abbeyfield House in the future so that they can continue to provide an excellent service to their residents in our community.”