Where is home and what does it mean to you? It can be a physical building but for many of us it is a feeling, a place, a smell or a view. The people who know you, being a \u2018regular\u2019, stopping for a chat, a beaten track and reassuring landmarks. When you\u2019ve lived somewhere all your life and these things are part of your routine, it can be hard to think how you might live without them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having to give up what\u2019s familiar because your health and wellbeing are failing can be one of the hardest decisions. A 2015 study by the Strategic Society Centre found that 80% of older homeowners wished to stay where they are. The Centre for Ageing Better found that 84% of people aged 70 and over felt that they strongly belong to their neighbourhood. But what if you could stay in the place you love and be supported by the community? And what does that mean for rural communities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2019, Shared Lives Plus received funding from the Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation and worked with Shared Lives schemes to explore how it could meet the needs of older people living in rural and isolated parts of the country. The project, which covered parts of Cornwall and Devon, Shropshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Perthshire and Aberdeenshire set out to discover what older people in these areas wanted from services, what provision already existed and how Shared Lives could offer support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shared Lives is a model of social care where a person that has developed care needs can visit, or move in long-term with, a local Shared Lives carer. Shared Lives carers are fully trained and approved and provide care in their own home \u2013 no institutions, no wards or blank walls. A Shared Lives household is a home from home, complete with pets, family and friends. Shared Lives carers are matched with people based on compatibility, where they live and what they can offer \u2013 so the support is completely personal and tailored to the individual. It is also rated as the highest quality and safest form of care by the CQC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of the older people we spoke to wanted to stay at home and usually this is the best option, but it can put a lot of pressure on family carers and local adult services. In rural areas the distances needed to travel can be prohibitive, meaning that some people are left for long periods of time without respite or help and support. Flexible, local Shared Lives day support and short breaks can help fill this gap and at the same time provide rewarding work opportunities for local people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the project, the schemes assessed and approved 20 new Shared Lives carers to support people locally. The project forged new partnerships between Shared Lives schemes and local services which have great potential for future referrals into Shared Lives and for flexible, holistic support for older people to stay in their communities. The partners in the project continue to look at ways they can reach more people who can benefit from Shared Lives care and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this short film, made in rural Aberdeenshire, we see the power of Shared Lives to help people stay in and enjoy their communities to the full. Hear more about Brian, who lives with his Shared Lives carer Shiri. <\/p>\n\n\n\n