Housing assessment tool
Housing with care offers new choices to older people living with dementia, including retirement villages and extra care housing. Often providers of this type of accommodation like to ensure that the design of building and apartments makes provision for adults as they age. The Housing Assessment Tool has been designed to help providers to support people living with dementia.
How to use the housing assessment tool
The tools can be used by a single individual but involving others who have a different perspective, for example people with dementia or a family member, estates staff, dementia specialists or care support staff, can offer valuable opportunities for gaining different views on the care environment and how to improve it. Completing the tool together can also encourage constructive conversations about the philosophy and purpose of care.
The assessment tool contains seven sections and a set of questions to prompt discussions and should be completed in full. Walk around the care environment and consider each of the questions in turn. Give each question a score out of five, where 5 indicates that it is met completely and 1 indicates it is barely met.
A summary sheet has been provided at the end of the assessment tool which should help pinpoint the areas that might be considered for initial improvement.
You can or you can now access the assessment tool as an App.
You may also find it helpful to read The King's Fund report: , which provides practical, value-for-money examples to encourage and inspire staff and their organisations to provide an environment of care that better supports people with dementia.